LIBRARY 

University   of   California^ 

IRVINE 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS 


THE 

DELIGHT  MAKERS 

BY 

ADOLF  F.   BANDELIER 

WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION 
By  CHARLES  F.  LUMMIS 

IL.L.USTRATUD 


NEW  YORK 
OODD,   MEAD  AND  COMPANY 


fS 


Copyright,  I&QO 
BY  DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 


Copyright,  1916 
BY  DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY,  INC. 


Copyright,  1918 
BY  MRS.  FANNY  R.  BANDELIEK 


PRINTED  IN  U.  S.  A. 


PREFACE 


THIS  story  is  the  result  of  eight  years  spent  in 
ethnological  and  archaeological  study  among  the 
Pueblo  Indians  of  New  Mexico.  The  first  chapters 
were  written  more  than  six  years  ago  at  the  Pueblo 
of  Cochiti.  The  greater  part  was  composed  in  1885, 
at  Santa  F6,  after  I  had  bestowed  upon  the  Tehuas 
the  same  interest  and  attention  I  had  previously  paid 
to  their  neighbours  the  Queres.  I  was  prompted  to 
perform  the  work  by  a  conviction  that  however 
scientific  works  may  tell  the  truth  about  the  Indian, 
they  exercise  always  a  limited  influence  upon  the 
general  public ;  and  to  that  public,  in  our  country  as 
well  as  abroad,  the  Indian  has  remained  as  good  as 
unknown.  By  clothing  sober  facts  in  the  garb  of 
romance  I  have  hoped  to  make  the  "  Truth  about 
the  Pueblo  Indians "  more  accessible  and  perhaps 
more  acceptable  to  the  public  in  general. 

The  sober  facts  which  I  desire  to  convey  may  be 
divided  into  three  classes,  —  geographical,  ethnologi  • 
cal,  and  archaeological.  The  descriptions  of  th<? 
country  and  of  its  nature  are  real.  The  descrip 
tions  of  manners  and  customs,  of  creed  and  rites, 
are  from  actual  observations  by  myself  and  other 
ethnologists,  from  the  statements  of  trustworthy  In- 


PREFACE. 

dians,  and  from  a  great  number  of  Spanish  sources 
of  old  date,  in  which  the  Pueblo  Indian  is  repre 
sented  as  he  lived  when  still  unchanged  by  contact 
with  European  civilization. 

The  descriptions  of  architecture  are  based  upon 
investigations  of  ruins  still  in  existence  on  the  sites 
where  they  are  placed  in  the  story. 

The  plot  is  my  own.  But  most  of  the  scenes  de 
scribed  I  have  witnessed;  and  there  is  a  basis  for 
it  in  a  dim  tradition  preserved  by  the  Queres  of 
Cochiti  that  their  ancestors  dwelt  on  the  Rito  de 
los  Frijoles  a  number  of  centuries  ago,  and  in  a 
similar  tradition  among  the  Tehuas  of  the  Pueblo 
of  Santa  Clara  in  regard  to  the  cave-dwellings  of 
the  Puye. 

A  word  to  the  linguist.  The  dialect  spoken  by 
the  actors  is  that  of  Cochiti  for  the  Queres,  that  of 
San  Juan  for  the  Tehuas.  In  order  to  avoid  the 
complicated  orthography  latterly  adopted  by  sci 
entists  for  Indian  dialects,  I  have  written  Indian 
words  and  phrases  as  they  would  be  pronounced 
in  continental  languages.  The  letter  a  is  used  to 
denote  the  sound  of  a  in  "  hare." 

To  those  who  have  so  kindly  assisted  me,  —  in 
particular  to  Rev.  E.  W.  Meany  of  Santa  F6,  and  to 
Dr.  Norton  B.  Strong,  of  the  United  States  Army,— 
I  herewith  tender  my  heartfelt  thanks. 

AD.  F.  BANDELIER 
SANTA  F6,  NEW  MEXICO. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION 


THE  aim  of  our  good  and  lamented  friend  in  writ 
ing  this  book  was  to  place  before  the  public,  in 
novelistic  garb,  an  account  of  the  life  and  activities 
of  the  Pueblo  Indians  before  the  coming  of  white 
men.  The  information  on  which  it  is  based  was  the 
result  of  his  personal  observations  during  many  years 
of  study  among  the  sedentary  tribes  of  New  Mexico 
and  in  Spanish  archives  pertaining  thereto  in  con 
nection  with  his  researches  for  the  Archaeological 
Institute  of  America.  He  spent  months  in  con 
tinuous  study  at  the  Tehua  pueblo  of  San  Juan  and 
the  Queres  pueblo  of  Cochiti,  and  the  regard  in 
which  he  was  held  by  the  simple  folk  of  those  and 
other  native  villages  was  sincerely  affectionate. 
Bandelier's  labors  in  his  chosen  field  were  com 
menced  at  a  time  when  a  battle  with  hardship  was  a 
part  of  the  daily  routine,  and  his  method  of  perform 
ing  the  tasks  before  him  was  of  the  kind  that  pro 
duced  important  results  often  at  the  expense  of 
great  suffering,  which  on  more  than  one  occasion 
almost  shut  out  his  life. 

Because  not  understood,  The  Delight  Makers  was 
not  received  at  first  with  enthusiastic  favor.  It 
seemed  unlike  the  great  student  of  technical  prob 
lems  deliberately  to  write  a  book  the  layman  might 
read  with  interest  and  profit;  but  his  object  once 

vii 


viii  PREFACE 

comprehended,  the  volume  was  received  in  the  spirit 
in  which  the  venture  was  initiated  and  for  a  long 
while  search  for  a  copy  has  often  been  in  vain. 

Bandelier  has  come  unto  his  own.  More  than  one 
serious  student  of  the  ethno-history  of  our  South 
west  has  frankly  declared  that  the  basis  of  future 
investigation  of  the  kind  that  Bandelier  inaugurated 
will  always  be  the  writings  of  that  eminent  man. 
Had  he  been  permitted  to  live  and  labor,  nothing 
would  have  given  him  greater  satisfaction  than  the 
knowledge  that  the  people  among  whom  he  spent  so 
many  years  are  of  those  who  fully  appreciate  the 
breadth  of  his  learning  and  who  have  been  instru 
mental  in  the  creation,  by  proclamation  of  the 
President,  of  the  "Bandelier  National  Monument," 
for  the  purpose  of  preserving  for  future  generations 
some  of  the  archaeological  remains  he  was  the  first 
to  observe  and  describe. 

F.  W.   HODGE. 


SMITHSONIAN  INSTITUTION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C., 
September  25,  1916. 


NOTE 

A  SPECIAL  interest  attaches  to  the  illustrations, 
uow  first  included  in  this  edition.  Many  of  them 
are  from  photographs  made  by  Chas.  F.  Lummis 
in  1890,  under  the  supervision  of  Bandelier,  and 
with  special  reference  to  "The  Delight  Makers,' 
then  being  written.  These  two  friends  were  the 
first  students  to  explore  the  Tyuonyi  and  its  neigh 
borhood.  In  rain  and  shine,  afoot,  without  blankets 
or  overcoats,  with  no  more  provision  than  a  little 
atole  (pop-corn  meal)  and  sweet  chocolate,  they 
climbed  the  cliffs,  threaded  the  cafions,  slept  in 
caves  or  under  trees,  measured,  mapped  and  photo 
graphed  the  ruins  and  landscapes  with  a  40-pound 
camera,  and  laid  the  basis-notes  for  part  of 
Bandelier's  monumental  "Final  Report"  to  the 
Archaeological  Institute  of  America. 

A  few  later  photographs  from  the  same  hand 
show  part  of  the  excavation  done  in  the  Tyuonyi  by 
the  School  of  American  Archaeology — through  whose 
loving  and  grateful  efforts  this  caflon  has  been  set 
apart  as  a  National  Monument  bearing  the  name  of 
its  discoverer  and  chronicler, 

ADOLF  F.  BANDELIER. 

Thanks  are  due  also  to  Hon.  Frederick  C.  Hicks, 
M.C.,  for  six  very  interesting  photographs  of  the 
Zufiis  and  their  country. 


IN  MEMORY 


ONE  day  of  August,  1888,  in  the  teeth  of  a  par 
ticular  New  Mexico  sand-storm  that  whipped  pebbles 
the  size  of  a  bean  straight  to  your  face,  a  ruddy, 
bronzed,  middle-aged  man,  dusty  but  unweary  with 
his  sixty-mile  tramp  from  Zuni,  walked  into  my  soli 
tary  camp  at  Los  Alamitos.  Within  the  afternoon  I 
knew  that  here  was  the  most  exraordinary  mind  I 
had  met.  There  and  then  began  the  uncommon 
friendship  which  lasted  till  his  death,  a  quarter  of  a  cen 
tury  later ;  and  a  love  and  admiration  which  will  be  of 
my  dearest  memories  so  long  as  I  shall  live.  I  was 
at  first  suspicious  of  the  "pigeon-hole  memory"  which 
could  not  only  tell  me  some  Queres  word  I  was  search 
ing  for,  but  add:  "Policarpio  explained  that  to  me  in 
Cochiti,  November  23,  1881."  But  I  discovered  that 
this  classified  memory  was  an  integral  part  of  this 
extraordinary  genius.  The  acid  tests  of  life-long  col 
laboration  proved  not  only  this  but  the  judicial  poise, 
the  marvelous  insight  and  the  intellectual  chastity  of 
Bandelier's  mind.  I  cannot  conceive  of  anything  in  the 
world  which  would  have  made  him  trim  his  sails  as 
a  historian  or  a  student  for  any  advantage  here  or 
hereafter. 

Aside  from  keen  mutual  interests  of  documentary 
and  ethnologic  study,  we  came  to  know  one  another 
humanly  by  the  hard  proof  of  the  Frontier.  Thou- 


xm 


Kiv  IN  MEMORY 

sands  of  miles  of  wilderness  and  desert  we  trudged 
side  by  side — camped,  starved,  shivered,  learned  and 
were  Glad  together.  Our  joint  pursuits  in  comfort 
at  our  homes  (in  Santa  Fe  and  Isleta,  respectively) 
will  always  be  memorable  to  me ;  but  never  so  wonder 
ful  as  that  companioning  in  the  hardships  of  what 
was,  in  our  day,  the  really  difficult  fringe  of  the  South 
west.  There  was  not  a  decent  road.  We  had  no  en 
dowment,  no  vehicles.  Bandelier  was  once  loaned  a 
horse;  and  after  riding  two  miles,  led  it  the  rest  of  the 
thirty.  So  we  went  always  by  foot;  my  big  camera 
and  glass  plates  in  the  knapsack  on  my  back,  the  heavy 
tripod  under  my  arm;  his  aneroid,  surveying  instru 
ments,  and  satchel  of  the  almost  microscopic  notes 
which  he  kept  fully  and  precisely  every  night  by  the 
camp-fire  (even  when  I  had  to  crouch  over  him  and 
the  precious  paper  with  my  water-proof  focusing 
cloth)  somehow  bestowed  about  him.  Up  and  down 
pathless  cliffs,  through  tangled  canons,  fording  icy 
streams  and  ankle-deep  sands,  we  travailed ;  no  blan 
kets,  overcoats,  or  other  shelter;  and  the  only  com 
missary  a  few  cakes  of  sweet  chocolate,  and  a  small 
sack  of  parched  popcorn  meal.  Our  "lodging  was  the 
cold  ground."  When  we  could  find  a  cave,  a  tree,  or 
anything  to  temper  the  wind  or  keep  off  part  of  the 
rain,  all  right.  If  not,  the  Open.  So  I  came  to  love 
him  as  well  as  revere.  I  had  known  many  "scientists" 
and  what  happened  when  they  really  got  Outdoors. 
He  was  in  no  way  an  athlete — nor  even  muscular.  I 
was  both — and  not  very  long  before  had  completed  my 
thirty-five-hundred-mile  "Tramp  Across  the  Conti- 


IN  MEMORY  xv 

nent."  But  I  never  had  to  "slow  down"  for  him. 
Sometimes  it  was  necessary  to  use  laughing  force  to 
detain  him  at  dark  where  we  had  water  and  a  leaning 
cliff,  instead  of  stumbling  on  through  the  trackless 
night  to  an  unknown  "Somewheres."  He  has  always 
reminded  me  of  John  Muir,  the  only  other  man  I  have 
known  intimately  who  was  as  insatiate  a  climber  and 
inspiring  a  talker.  But  Bandelier  had  one  advantage. 
He  could  find  common  ground  with  anyone.  I  have 
seen  him  with  Presidents,  diplomats,  Irish  section- 
hands,  Mexican  peons,  Indians,  authors,  scientists  and 
"society."  Within  an  hour  or  so  he  was  easily  the 
Center.  Not  unconscious  of  his  power,  he  had  an 
extraordinary  and  sensitive  modesty,  which  handi 
capped  him  through  life  among  those  who  had  the 
"gift  of  push."  He  never  put  himself  forward  either 
in  person  or  in  his  writing.  But  something  about  him 
fascinated  all  these  far-apart  classes  of  people,  when 
he  spoke.  His  command  of  English,  French,  Spanish, 
and  German  might  have  been  expected;  but  his  facil 
ity  in  acquiring  the  "dialects"  of  railroad  men  and 
cowboys,  or  the  language  of  an  Indian  tribe,  was 
almost  uncanny.  When  he  first  visited  me,  in  Isleta, 
he  knew  just  three  words  of  Tigua.  In  ten  days  he 
could  make  himself  understood  by  the  hour  with  the 
Principales  in  their  own  unwritten  tongue.  Of  course, 
this  was  one  secret  of  his  extraordinary  success  in 
learning  the  inner  heart  of  the  Indians. 

I  saw  it  proved  again  in  our  contact  with  the  Qui- 
chua  and  Aymara  and  other  tribes  of  Peru  and 
Bolivia. 


xvi  IN  MEMOR  Y ' 

I  have  known  many  scholars  and  soiiie  heroes — but 
they  seldom  come  in  the  same  original  package.  As 
I  remember  Bandelier  with  smallpox  alone  in  the  two- 
foot  snows  of  the  Manzanos ;  his  tens  of  thousands  of 
miles  of  tramping,  exploring,  measuring,  describing, 
in  the  Southwest;  his  year  afoot  and  alone  in  North 
ern  Mexico,  with  no  more  weapon  than  a  pen-knife, 
on  the  trails  of  raiding  Apaches  (where  "scientific 
expeditions"  ten  years  later,  when  the  Apache  was 
eliminated,  needed  armed  convoys  and  pack-trains 
enough  for  a  punitive  expedition,  and  wrote  preten 
tious  books  about  what  every  scholar  has  known  for 
three  hundred  years)  I  deeply  wonder  at  the  dual 
quality  of  his  intellect.  Among  them  all,  I  have  never 
known  such  student  and  such  explorer  lodged  in  one 
tenement. 

We  were  knit  not  only  thus  but  in  the  very  inti 
macies  of  life — sharing  hopes  and  bereavements.  My 
first  son,  named  for  him,  should  now  be  twenty-two. 
The  old  home  in  Santa  Fe  was  as  my  own.  The  truly 
wonderful  little  woman  he  found  in  Peru  for  mate — 
who  shared  his  hardships  among  the  cannibals  of  the 
Amazonas  and  elsewhere,  and  so  aided  and  still  car 
ries  on  his  work — I  met  in  her  maiden  home,  and  am 
glad  I  may  still  call  her  friend. 

Naturally,  among  my  dearest  memories  of  our 
trampings  together  is  that  of  the  Rito,  the  Tyuonyi. 
It  had  never  in  any  way  been  pictured  before.  We 
were  the  first  students  that  ever  explored  it.  He  had 
discovered  it,  and  was  writing  "The  Delight  Makers." 
What  days  those  were!  The  weather  was  no  friend 


IN  MEMORY 


of  ours,  nor  of  the  camera's.  We  were  wet  and  half- 
fed,  and  cold  by  night,  even  in  the  ancient  tiny  caves. 
But  the  unforgettable  glory  of  it  all! 

To-day  thousands  of  people  annually  visit  the 
Tyuonyi  at  ease,  and  camp  for  weeks  in  comfort.  The 
School  of  American  Archeology  has  a  summer  ses- 
session  there  ;  and  its  excavations  verify  Bandelier's 
surmises.  Normal  students  and  budding  archaeolo 
gists  sleep  in  the  very  caves  (identified)  of  the  Eagle 
People,  the  Turquoise,  Snake  and  other  clans.  And 
in  that  enchanted  valley  we  remember  not  only  the 
Ancients,  but  the  man  who  gave  all  this  to  the  world. 

During  the  six  years  I  was  Librarian  of  the  Los 
Angeles  Public  Library,  far  later,  no  other  out-of- 
print  book  on  the  Southwest  was  so  eagerly  sought  as 
"The  Delight  Makers."  We  had  great  trouble  in  get 
ting  our  own  copy,  which  slept  in  the  safe.  The  many 
students  who  wished  copies  of  their  very  own  were 
referred  to  dealers  in  Americana,  who  searched  for  this 
already  rare  volume  ;  and  many  were  proud  to  get  it, 
at  last,  at  ten,  fifteen  and  even  twenty  times  its  orig 
inal  price.  It  will  always  be  a  standard  —  the  most 
photographic  story  yet  printed  of  the  life  of  the 
prehistoric  Americans. 

CHARLES  F.  LUMMIS. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE  mountain  ranges  skirting  the  Rio  Grande  del  Norte  on 
the  west,  nearly  opposite  the  town  of  Santa  Fd,  in  the  Ter 
ritory  of  New  Mexico,  are  to-day  but  little  known.  The 
interior  of  the  chain,  the  Sierra  de  los  Valles,  is  as  yet  im 
perfectly  explored.  Still,  these  bald-crested  mountains, 
dark  and  forbidding  as  they  appear  from  a  distance,  con 
ceal  and  shelter  in  their  deep  gorges  and  clefts  many  a  spot 
of  great  natural  beauty,  surprisingly  picturesque,  but  diffi 
cult  of  access.  From  the  river  these  canons,  as  they  are 
called  in  New  Mexico,  can  be  reached  only  by  dint  of  toil 
some  climbing  and  clambering ;  for  their  western  openings 
are  either  narrow  gaps,  or  access  to  them  is  barred  by  colos 
sal  walls  and  pillars  of  volcanic  rocks.  The  entire  formation 
of  the  chain,  as  far  as  it  faces  the  Rio  Grande,  is  volcanic, 
the  walls  of  the  gorges  consisting  generally  of  a  friable  white 
or  yellowish  tufa  containing  nodules  of  black,  translucent 
obsidian.  The  rock  is  so  soft  that  in  many  places  it  can  be 
scooped  out  or  detached  with  the  most  primitive  tools,  or 
even  with  the  fingers  alone.  Owing  to  this  peculiarity  the 
slopes  exposed  to  the  south  and  east,  whence  most  of  the 
heavy  rains  strike  them,  are  invariably  abrupt,  and  often 
even  perpendicular ;  whereas  the  opposite  declivities,  though 
steep,  still  afford  room  for  scanty  vegetation.  The  gorges 
run  from  west  to  east,  —  that  is,  they  descend  from  the  mouc- 


2  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

tain  crests  to  the  Rio  Grande,  cutting  the  long  and  narrow 
pedestal  on  which  the  high  summits  are  resting. 

Through  some  but  not  all  of  these  gorges  run  never-fail 
ing  streams  of  clear  water.  In  a  few  instances  the  gorge 
expands  and  takes  the  proportions  of  a  narrow  vale.  Then 
the  high  timber  that  usually  skirts  the  rivulets  shrinks  to 
detached  groves,  and  patches  of  clear  land  appear,  which, 
if  cultivated,  would  afford  scanty  support  to  one  or  two 
modern  families.  To  the  village  Indian  such  tillable  spots 
were  of  the  greatest  value.  The  deep  ravine  afforded  shelter 
not  only  against  the  climate  but  against  roving  enemies,  and 
the  land  was  sufficient  for  his  modest  crops ;  since  his  wants 
were  limited,  and  game  was  abundant. 

The  material  of  which  the  walls  of  these  canons  are  com 
posed,  suggested  in  times  past  to  the  house-building  Indian 
the  idea  of  using  them  as  a  home.  The  tufa  and  pumice- 
stone  are  so  friable  that,  as  we  have  said,  the  rock  can  be 
dug  or  burrowed  with  the  most  primitive  implements.  It 
was  easier,  in  fact,  to  excavate  dwellings  than  to  pile  up 
walls  in  the  open  air. 

Therefore  the  northern  sides  of  these  secluded  gorges 
are  perforated  in  many  places  by  openings  similar  in  appear 
ance  to  pigeon-holes.  These  openings  are  the  points  of 
exit  and  entrance  of  artificial  caves,  dug  out  by  sedentary 
aborigines  in  times  long  past.  They  are  met  with  in  clus 
ters  of  as  many  as  several  hundred  ;  more  frequently,  how 
ever,  the  groups  are  small.  Sometimes  two  or  more  tiers 
of  caves  are  superimposed.  From  the  objects  scattered 
about  and  in  the  cells,  and  from  the  size  and  disposition  of 
the  latter,  it  becomes  evident  that  the  people  who  excavated 
and  inhabited  them  were  on  the  same  level  of  culture  as 
the  so-called  Pueblo  Indians  of  New  Mexico. 

It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  some  traditions  and 
myths  are  preserved  to-day  among  the  Pueblos  concerning 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  3 

these  cave-villages.  Thus  the  Tehua  Indians  of  the  pueblo 
of  Santa  Clara  assert  that  the  artificial  grottos  of  what  they 
call  the  Puiye  and  the  Shufinne,  west  of  their  present  abodes, 
were  the  homes  of  their  ancestors  at  one  time.  The  Queres 
of  Cochiti  in  turn  declare  that  the  tribe  to  which  they  be 
long,  occupied,  many  centuries  before  the  first  coming  of 
Europeans  to  New  Mexico,  the  cluster  of  cave-dwellings, 
visible  at  this  day  although  abandoned  and  in  ruins,  in  that 
romantic  and  picturesquely  secluded  gorge  called  in  the 
Queres  dialect  Tyuonyi,  and  in  Spanish  "  El  Rito  de  lo» 
Frijoles." 

The  Rito  is  a  beautiful  spot.  Situated  in  a  direct  line 
not  over  twenty  miles  west  of  Santa  Fe",  it  can  still  be 
reached  only  after  a  long  day's  tedious  travel.  It  is  a  nar 
row  valley,  nowhere  broader  than  half  a  mile ;  and  from  where 
it  begins  in  the  west  to  where  it  closes  in  a  dark  and 
gloomy  entrance,  scarcely  wide  enough  for  two  men  to  pass 
abreast,  in  the  east,  its  length  does  not  exceed  six  miles. 
Its  southern  rim  is  formed  by  the  slope  of  a  timbered  mesa, 
and  that  slope  is  partly  overgrown  by  shrubbery.  The 
northern  border  constitutes  a  line  of  vertical  cliffs  of  yellow 
ish  and  white  pumice,  projecting  and  re-entering  like  deco 
rations  of  a  stage,  —  now  perpendicular  and  smooth  for  some 
distance,  now  sweeping  back  in  the  shape  of  an  arched 
segment.  These  cliffs  vary  in  height,  although  nowhere  are 
they  less  than  two  hundred  feet.  Their  tops  rise  in  huge 
pillars,  in  crags  and  pinnacles.  Brushwood  and  pine  tim 
ber  crown  the  mesa  of  which  these  fantastic  projections  are 
but  the  shaggy  border. 

Through  the  vale  itself  rustles  the  clear  and  cool  brook 
to  which  the  name  of  Rito  de  los  Frijoles  is  applied.  It 
meanders  on,  hugging  the  southern  slope,  partly  through 
open  spaces,  partly  through  groves  of  timber,  and  again 
past  tall  stately  pine-trees  standing  isolated  in  the  valley. 


4  THE  DELIGHl^  MAKERS. 

Willows,  cherry-trees,  cottonwoods,  and  elders  form  small 
thickets  along  its  banks.  The  Rito  is  a  permanent  stream 
let  notwithstanding  its  small  size.  Its  water  freezes  in  win 
ter,  but  it  never  dries  up  completely  during  the  summer 
months. 

Bunches  of  tall  grass,  low  shrubbery,  and  cactus  grow  in 
the  open  spaces  between  rocky  de'bris  fallen  from  above. 
They  also  cover  in  part  low  mounds  of  rubbish,  and  ruins 
of  a  large  pentagonal  building  erected  formerly  at  the 
foot  of  a  slope  leading  to  the  cliffs.  In  the  cliffs  themselves, 
for  a  distance  of  about  two  miles,  numerous  caves  dug  out 
by  the  hand  of  man  are  visible.  Some  of  these  are  yet 
perfect ;  others  have  wholly  crumbled  away  except  the  rear 
wall.  From  a  distance  the  port-holes  and  indentations 
appear  like  so  many  pigeons'  nests  in  the  naked  rock. 
Together  with  the  cavities  formed  by  amygdaloid  cham 
bers  and  crevices  caused  by  erosion,  they  give  the  cliffs 
the  appearance  of  a  huge,  irregular  honeycomb. 

These  ruins,  inside  as  well  as  outside  the  northern  walls 
of  the  canon  of  the  Rito,  bear  testimony  to  the  tradition 
still  current  among  the  Queres  Indians  of  New  Mexico  that 
the  Rito,  or  Tyuonyi,  was  once  inhabited  by  people  of  their 
kind,  nay,  even  of  their  own  stock.  But  the  time  when 
those  people  wooed  and  wed,  lived  and  died,  in  that  secluded 
vale  is  past  long,  long  ago.  Centuries  previous  to  the  ad 
vent  of  the  Spaniards,  the  Rito  was  already  deserted.  Noth 
ing  remains  but  the  ruins  of  former  abodes  and  the  memory 
of  their  inhabitants  among  their  descendants.  These  an^ 
cient  people  of  the  Rito  are  the  actors  in  the  story  which 
is  now  to  be  told  ;  the  stage  in  the  main  is  the  Rito  itself. 
The  language  of  the  actors  is  the  Queres  dialect,  and  the 
time  when  the  events  occurred  is  much  anterior  to  the  dis 
covery  of  America,  to  the  invention  of  gunpowder  and  the 
printing-press  in  Europe.  Still  the  Rito  must  have  ap- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  5 

peared  then  much  as  it  appears  now,  —  a  quiet,  lovely,  pic 
turesque  retreat,  peaceful  when  basking  in  the  sunlight, 
wonderfully  quiet  when  the  stars  sparkled  over  it,  or  the 
moon  shed  its  floods  of  silver  on  the  cliffs  and  on  the  mur 
muring  brook  below. 

In  the  lower  or  western  part  of  its  course  the  Tyuonyi 
rushes  in  places  through  thickets  and  small  groves,  out  of 
which  rise  tall  pine-trees.  It  is  very  still  on  the  banks  of 
the  brook  when,  on  a  warm  June  day,  noon-time  is  just 
past  and  no  breeze  fans  the  air ;  not  a  sound  is  heard  be 
yond  the  rippling  of  the  water ;  the  birds  are  asleep,  and 
the  noise  of  human  activity  does  not  reach  there  from  the 
cliffs.  Still,  on  the  day  of  which  we  are  now  speaking,  a 
Voice  arose  from  the  thicket,  calling  aloud,  — 

"  Umo,  — « grandfather  ! '" » 

"  To  ima  satyumishe,  — '  come  hither,  my  brother,'  " 
another  voice  replied  in  the  same  dialect,  adding,  "See 
what  a  big  fish  I  have  caught." 

It  sounded  as  though  this  second  voice  had  issued  from 
the  very  waters  of  the  streamlet. 

Pine  boughs  rustled,  branches  bent,  and  leaves  shook. 
A  step  scarcely  audible  was  followed  by  a  noiseless  leap. 
On  a  boulder  around  which  flowed  streams  of  limpid  water 
there  alighted  a  young  Indian. 

He  was  of  medium  height  and  well-proportioned.  His 
hands  and  feet  were  rather  small  and  delicate.  He  carried 
his  head  erect  with  ease  and  freedom.  Jet-black  hair, 
slightly  waving,  streamed  loose  over  temples  and  cheeks, 
and  was  gathered  at  the  back  in  a  short  thick  knot.  In 
front  it  parted  naturally,  leaving  exposed  a  narrow  strip  of 

1  The  word  "umo"  properly  signifies  "grandfather;"  but  it  is 
used  indiscriminately  for  all  ages  and  sexes  in  calling.  An  old  man, 
for  instance,  will  call  his  grandchild  "umo;"  so  will  a  wife  her  hus 
band,  a  brother  his  sister,  etc. 


6  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

the  brow.  The  features  of  the  face,  though  not  regular, 
were  still  attractive,  for  large  black  eyes,  almond-shaped, 
shone  bright  from  underneath  heavy  lashes.  The  complex 
ion  was  dusky,  and  the  skin  had  a  velvety  gloss.  Form, 
carriage,  and  face  together  betokened  a  youth  of  about 
eighteen  years. 

His  costume  was  very  plain.  A  garment  of  unbleached 
cotton,  coarsely  woven,  covered  the  body  as  low  as  the 
knee.  This  garment,  sleeveless  and  soiled  by  wear,  was 
tied  over  the  right  shoulder.  A  reddish-brown  scarf  or  belt 
of  the  same  material  fastened  it  around  the  waist.  Feet, 
arms,  and  the  left  shoulder  were  bare.  Primitive  as  was 
this  costume,  there  was,  nevertheless,  an  attempt  here  and 
there  at  decoration.  The  belt  was  ornamented  with  black 
and  white  stitches ;  from  each  ear  hung  a  turquoise  sus 
pended  by  a  cotton  thread,  and  a  necklace  of  coloured 
pebbles  strung  on  yucca  fibre  encircled  the  neck. 

Like  a  statue  of  light-coloured  bronze  decked  with  scanty 
drapery,  and  adorned  with  crude  trinkets,  holding  a  bow  in 
the  right  hand,  while  the  left  clenched  a  few  untipped 
arrows,  the  youth  stood  on  the  boulder  outlined  against  the 
shrubbery,  immovable  above  the  running  brook.  His  gaze 
was  fixed  on  the  opposite  bank,  where  a  youngster  was 
kneeling. 

The  latter  was  a  boy  of  perhaps  nine  years.  A  dirty 
wrap  hung  loosely  over  shoulders  and  back,  and  no  neck 
lace  or  ear-pendants  decorated  his  body.  But  the  child 
ish  features  were  enlivened  by  a  broad  grin  of  satisfaction, 
and  his  eyes  sparkled  like  coals  just  igniting,  while  he 
pointed  to  a  large  mountain  trout  which  he  pressed  against 
a  stone  with  both  hands.  He  looked  at  the  older  youth 
with  an  expression  not  merely  of  pleasure,  but  of  familiar 
intimacy  also.  It  was  clear  that  both  boys  were  children 
of  the  same  parents. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  J 

The  younger  one  spoke  first,  — 

"See  here,  Okoya,"  he  began,  grinning;  "while  you 
are  older  than  I,  and  bigger  and  stronger,  I  am  more 
cunning  than  you.  Ever  since  the  sun  came  out  you 
have  followed  the  turkeys,  and  what  have  you?  Noth 
ing  !  Your  hands  are  empty !  I  have  just  come  down 
from  the  field,  and  look  !  I  caught  this  fish  in  the  water. 
Shall  we  fry  and  eat  it  here,  or  carry  it  home  to  the 
mother?" 

The  older  brother  did  not  relish  the  taunt;  his  lips 
curled.  He  replied  scornfully, — 

"  Any  child  may  catch  a  fish,  but  only  men  can  follow 
turkeys.  The  tzina  is  shy  and  wary ;  it  knows  how  sure 
my  aim  is,  therefore  it  hides  when  I  go  out  to  hunt." 

The  little  one  replied  to  this  pompous  explanation 
with  a  clear  mocking  laugh. 

"  Turkeys  care  nothing  about  you,"  he  retorted.  "  It 
is  nothing  to  them  whether  you  go  out  or  not ! " 

"Shyuote,"  his  brother  scolded,  "stop  prating  about 
things  of  which  you  do  not  know.  It  is  true  I  am  not 
one  of  the  order  of  hunters,  Shyayak,  but  I  may  become 
so  soon."  He  stopped,  as  if  a  sudden  thought  had  struck 
him,  and  then  exclaimed :  "Now  I  know  why  luck  has 
failed  me  this  morning !  When  I  left  our  houses  I 
should  have  scattered  meal,  and  placed  a  pebble  on  the 
heap  beside  the  trail,  and  offered  a  plume  to  our  Mother 
Above.  All  this  I  neglected.  Now  I  am  punished  for 
it  by  the  birds  concealing  themselves.  For  had  they 
come  out — " 

"  You  would  have  missed  them,"  tauntingly  replied  the 
other.  "  If  you  want  to  kill  turkeys  join  the  Koshare. 
Then  you  will  catch  them  with  roots  and  flowers." 

Okoya  grew  angry. 

"  Hush  !  foolish  boy,"  he  retorted,  "  what  are  the  Ko- 


8  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

share  to  me?  Don't  speak  about  such  things  here.  Come, 
take  your  fish,  and  let  us  go  home." 

With  this  Okoya  leaped  over  the  brook.  Shyuote  whis 
pered  audibly  to  him,  "Yes;  you  are  very  fond  of  the 
Koshare."  But  the  sarcastic  remark  was  not  heeded  by 
the  elder  lad,  who  turned  to  go,  Shyuote  following  him. 
Proudly  the  little  boy  tossed  his  fish  from  one  hand  to 
the  other. 

Beyond  the  straight  and  lofty  pine  trunks  a  whitish 
glare  soon  appeared.  Brilliant  sunlight  broke  through  the 
tree-tops,  and  played  around  the  dark  needles,  turning  them 
into  a  brighter,  lighter,  emerald  green.  A  background  of 
yellow  and  cream-coloured  rocks,  visible  now  through  open 
ings  in  the  shrubbery,  showed  that  the  boys  were  approach* 
ing  a  clear  space. 

Here  the  elder  one  suddenly  stopped,  turned  to  his 
brother,  looked  straight  at  him,  and  asked,  — 

"Shyuote,  what  have  you  heard  about  the  Koshare?" 

Instead  of  answering  the  child  looked  down,  indifferent 
and  silent,  as  if  he  had  not  heard  the  query. 

"  What  have  you  heard,  boy?  "  continued  the  other. 

Shyuote  shrugged  his  shoulders.  He  had  no  inclination 
to  reply. 

"Why  don't  you  answer?"  Okoya  persisted. 

His  brother  looked  up,  cast  a  furtive  glance  at  the  in 
terlocutor,  then  stared  vacantly,  but  with  head  erect,  before 
him.  His  eyes  were  glassy  and  without  any  expression. 

Whenever  the  Indian  does  not  wish  to  speak  on  any 
subject,  whatever  it  be,  no  power  on  earth  can  compel  him 
to  break  silence.  Okoya,  as  an  Indian,  felt  rather  than 
understood  this;  and  the  child's  refusal  to  answer  a  very 
simple  question  aroused  his  suspicions.  He  looked  at  the 
stubborn  boy  for  a  moment,  undecided  whether  he  would 
not  resort  to  force.  The  child's  taunts  had  mortified  his 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  9 

pride  in  the  first  place ;  now  that  child's  reticence  bred 
misgivings.  He  nevertheless  restrained  both  anger  and 
curiosity  for  the  present,  not  because  of  indifference  but 
for  policy's  sake,  and  turned  to  go.  Shyuote  looked  for  a 
moment  as  if  he  wished  to  confess  to  his  brother  all  that 
the  latter  inquired  about,  but  soon  pouted,  shrugged  his 
shoulders,  and  set  out  after  Okoya  in  a  lively  fox-trot  again. 

The  valley  lay  before  them ;  they  had  reached  the  end  of 
the  grove. 

Smiling  in  the  warm  glow  of  a  June  day,  with  a  sky  of 
deepest  azure,  the  vale  of  the  Rito  expanded  between  the 
spot  which  the  boys  had  reached  and  the  rocky  gateways  in 
the  west,  where  that  valley  seemed  to  begin.  Fields,  small 
and  covered  with  young,  bushy  maize-plants,  skirted  the 
brook,  whose  silvery  thread  was  seen  here  and  there  as  its 
meanderings  carried  it  beneath  the  shadow  of  shrubs  and 
trees,  or  exposed  it  to  the  full  light  of  the  dazzling  sun.  In 
the  plantations  human  forms  appeared,  now  erect,  now  bent 
down  over  their  work.  A  ditch  of  medium  size  bordered 
the  fields  on  the  north,  carrying  water  from  the  brook  for 
purposes  of  irrigation.  Still  north  of  the  ditch,  and  be 
tween  it  and  the  cliffs,  arose  a  tall  building,  which  from  a 
distance  looked  like  a  high  clumsy  pile  of  clay  or  reddish 
earth. 

This  pile  was  irregularly  terraced.  Human  beings  stood 
on  the  terraces  or  moved  along  them.  Now  and  then  one 
was  seen  to  rise  from  the  interior  of  the  pile  to  one  of  the 
terraced  roofs,  or  another  slowly  sank  from  sight,  as  if 
descending  into  the  interior  of  the  earthy  heap.  On  the 
outside,  beams  leaned  against  it,  and  on  them  people  went 
up  and  down,  as  if  climbing  ladders.  Thin  films  of  smoke 
quivered  in  the  air  from  imperceptible  flues. 

The  cliffs  themselves  extended  north  of  this  building  and 
east  and  west  as  far  as  the  range  of  view  permitted,  like  a 


10  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

yellowish  ribbon  of  towering  height  with  innumerable  flex- 
ures  and  alternations  of  light  and  shade.  Their  base  was 
enlivened  by  the  bustle  of  those  who  dwelt  in  caves  all 
along  the  foot  of  the  imposing  rocky  wall.  Where  to-day 
only  vacant  holes  stare  at  the  visitor,  at  the  hour  on  the  day 
when  our  story  begins,  human  eyes  peered  through.  Other 
doors  were  closed  by  deer-hides  or  robes.  Sometimes  a 
man,  a  woman,  or  a  child,  would  creep  out  of  one  of  these 
openings,  and  climbing  upward,  disappear  in  the  entrance 
of  an  upper  tier  of  cave-dwellings.  Others  would  descend 
the  slope  from  the  cliffs  to  the  fields,  while  still  others 
returned  from  the  banks  of  the  ditch  or  of  the  brook.  At 
the  distance  from  which  the  boys  viewed  the  landscape  all 
passed  noiselessly ;  no  human  voice,  no  clamour  disturbed 
the  stillness  of  the  scene. 

Peaceful  as  Nature  appeared,  neither  of  the  youth  were  in 
the  least  struck  by  its  charms  or  influenced  by  the  spell 
which  such  a  tranquil  and  cheerful  landscape  is  likely  to 
exercise  upon  thinking  and  feeling  man.  With  both  it  was 
indifference ;  for  the  Indian  views  Nature  with  the  eyes  of  a 
materially  interested  spectator  only.  But  the  elder  brother 
had  another  reason  for  not  noticing  the  beauty  of  the  scene. 
He  was  not  only  troubled,  he  was  seriously  embarrassed. 
The  hint  thrown  out  by  his  little  brother  about  the  Koshare 
had  struck  him ;  for  it  led  to  the  inference  that  the  child 
had  knowledge  of  secret  arts  and  occult  practices  of  which 
even  he,  Okoya,  although  on  the  verge  of  manhood,  had 
never  received  any  intimation.  Far  more  yet  than  this 
knowledge,  which  Shyuote  might  have  obtained  through 
mere  accident,  the  hint  at  unpleasant  relations  between 
Okoya  and  the  Koshare  startled  the  latter. 

It  was  perfectly  true  that  he  not  only  disliked  but  even 
hated  the  cluster  of  men  to  which  the  name  of  Koshare  was 
given  in  the  tribe ;  but  he  had  concealed  his  feelings  as  care- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  II 

fully  as  possible  until  now.  Only  once,  as  far  as  he  could 
remember,  had  he  spoken  of  his  aversion ;  and  then  it  was 
during  an  absolutely  confidential  conversation  with  his  own 
mother,  who  seemed  to  entertain  like  sentiments. 

To  his  father  he  had  never  uttered  a  word ;  because  his  "r 
father  was  himself  a  Koshare.  Whatever  Shyuote  knew,  he 
could  only  have  gathered  by  overhearing  a  conversation  of 
the  Koshare  among  themselves,  in  which  it  was  mentioned 
that  he,  Okoya,  harboured  ill-feelings  toward  that  brother 
hood.  In  that  case  he  might  be  exposed  to  serious  danger, 
since,  as  he  believed,  those  people  were  in  possession  of 
knowledge  of  a  higher  order,  and  practised  arts  of  an  occult 
nature.  Against  danger  arising  from  such  a  source,  Okoya 
considered  himself  utterly  defenceless. 

The  more  he  tried  to  think  over  these  matters,  the  more 
troubled  his  mind  became.  Only  one  thought  appeared 
logical  and  probable  and  that  was  that  the  boy  had  over* 
heard  one  or  other  of  the  Koshare's  intimate  conversations. 
But  how  came  it  that  the  Koshare  knew  about  Okoya's 
aversion  toward  them?  Who  could  have  told  them?  Only 
his  mother  knew  the  secret !  Had  she,  perhaps,  she  — 
The  thought  was  like  a  spark  which  glowed  for  a  while,  grew 
to  a  flame,  flared  and  flickered  unsteadily  within  his  heart, 
then  began  to  shrink.  No,  no ;  it  was  impossible  !  it  could 
not  be  !  His  mother  would  never  betray  her  child  !  The 
flame  died  out,  the  spark  remained  fast  dying.  Suddenly  it 
blazed  up  again  as  if  some  breath  had  fanned  it. 

With  renewed  insistence,  it  struck  Okoya  that  even  if 
Shyuote  had  merely  overheard  a  conversation  and  the  child's 
knowledge  was  derived  from  that  source,  the  most  extraor 
dinary  part  of  the  information  could  only  have  come  from 
one  source,  —  the  person  in  whom  he  had  confided,  his 
mother !  She  alone  could  have  told  the  Koshare  that 
Okoya  hated  them.  The  spark  flared  up  anew ;  it  burst  o\y 


12  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

in  a  wild  flame  of  suspicion.  It  singed  the  heart  and 
smothered  feeling  as  well  as  reason.  It  so  completely 
absorbed  his  thoughts,  that  Okoya  forgot  everything  else. 
Instead  of  walking  along  at  a  quiet  easy  gait,  he  rushed  fast 
and  faster,  wrapped  in  dismal  despair  and  in  wild  impotent 
wrath.  Heedless  of  his  little  companion  he  ran,  panting 
with  agitation,  until  Shyuote,  unable  to  keep  pace  and 
startled  at  his  wild  gait,  pulled  his  garment  and  begged  him 
to  stop. 

"  Brother,"  he  cried,  "  why  do  you  go  so  fast?  I  cannot 
follow  you  ! " 

Okoya  came  to  a  sudden  halt,  and  turned  toward  the 
boy  like  one  aroused  from  a  sinister  dream.  Shyuote 
stared  at  him  with  surprise  akin  to  fright.  How  changed 
was  his  appearance  !  Never  before  had  he  seen  him  with 
a  countenance  so  haggard,  with  eyes  hollow  and  yet  burn 
ing  with  a  lurid  glow.  Loose  hair  hung  down  over  fore 
head  and  cheeks,  perspiration  stood  on  the  brow  in  big 
drops.  The  child  involuntarily  shrunk  back,  and  Okoya, 
Noticing  it,  gasped, — 

"  You  are  right,  the  day  is  long  yet  and  the  houses  near. 
We  will  go  slower." 

Bowing  his  head  again  he  went  on  at  a  slower  gait. 

Shyuote  followed  in  silence.  Although  surprised  at  the 
change  in  his  brother's  looks,  he  did  not  for  a  moment 
entertain  the  thought  or  desire  of  inquiring  into  the  cause 
of  it.  He  was  fully  satisfied  that  as  long  as  Okoya  did  not 
see  fit  to  speak  of  the  matter,  he  had  no  right  to  ask  about 
it :  in  short,  that  it  was  none  of  his  business. 

Meanwhile  dark  and  dismal  thoughts  were  chasing  each 
other  within  the  elder  brother's  soul.  Doubt  and  suspicion 
became  more  and  more  crushing.  He  was  tempted  to 
break  the  spell  and  interrogate  Shyuote  once  more,  even  to 
wrench  from  him,  if  needs  be,  a  full  explanation.  The  boy 


Portrait  of  the  Author 


u 


(Upper  picture)  A  modern  Indian  Dance 
(Lower  picture)    An  estufa 


Rito  de  los  Frijoles 
Cavate  rooms  in  cliff ;  Ruins  of  Talus  Pueblo  at  the  foot  of  cliff 


*^  jtf*~  ^'  1"  •-•  i"^*  .v'"iti3**Ki*i 

J^^^^ff^, 

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(Upper  picture)   A  Navajo   Hogan 

(Lower  picture)   The  Heart  of  the  Tyuonyi :  The  excavated 
lower  story  of  the  great  terraced  Communal  House 


Rito  de  los  Frijoles 
A  cliff  estufa  of  the  Snake-Clan 


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Indian  Pueblo  Dances  of  To-day 

(Upper  picture)   Lining  up  for  the  dance 

(Lower  picture)   The  "Clowns" 


Type  of  old  Indian  woman 


fc 

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Juanico:  A  member  of  the  modern  village-council 


The  Hishtanyi  Chayan,  or  Chief  Medicine  Man 


Looking  out  from  one  of  the  weathered   Cave-Rooms  of  the 
Snake-Clau 


fe 

(/I 

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Ruins  of  an  Ancient  Pueblo 


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THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  13 

was  old  enough  to  enjoy  that  great  and  often  disagreeable 
quality  of  the  American  Indian,  reticence.  Furthermore, 
he  might  have  been  forbidden  to  speak. 

If  the  Indian  is  not  an  ideal  being,  he  is  still  less  a  stolid  ~ 
mentally  squalid  brute.  He  is  not  reticent  out  of  imbecility 
or  mental  weakness.  He  fails  properly  to  understand  much 
of  what  takes  place  around  him,  especially  what  happens 
within  the  circle  of  our  modern  civilization,  but  withal  he  is 
far  from  indifferent  toward  his  surroundings.  He  observes. 

...  .  . 

compares,  thinks,  reasons,  upon  whatever  he  sees  or  hears, 
and    forms   opinions   from    the  basis  of  his  own  peculiar 
culture.     His  senses  are  very  acute  for  natural  phenomena ; 
his  memory  is  excellent,  as  often  as  he  sees  fit  to  make  use      oj**!*^ 
of  it.     There  is  no  difference  between  him  and  the  Cau-      <4t*f*  '•   ^ 
casian  in  original  faculties,  and  the  reticence  peculiar  to       pkft:  &  W" 
him  under  certain  circumstances  is   not   due    to   lack   of   f    fa* 
mental  aptitude. 

He  does  not  practise  that  reticence  alike  toward  all.  A 
great  number  of  examples  seems  to  establish  the  fact  that 
the  Indian  has  developed  a  system  of  casuistry,  based 
upon  a  remarkably  thorough  knowledge  of  human  nature. 
Certain  matters  are  kept  concealed  from  some  people,  ~f 
whereas  they  are  freely  discussed  with  others,  and  vice 
versa.  The  Indian  hardly  ever  keeps  a  secret  to  himself 
alone;  it  is  nearly  always  shared  by  others  whom  the 
matter  directly  concerns.  It  may  be  said  of  the  red  man 
that  he  keeps  secrets  in  the  same  manner  that  he  lives,  — • 
namely,  in  groups  or  clusters.  The  reason  is  that  with_ 
him  individualism,  or  the  mental  and  moral  independence 
of  the  individual,  has  not  attained  the  high  degree  of  de 
velopment  which  prevails  among  white  races. 

When  Europeans  began  to  colonize  America  in  the  fif 
teenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  the  social  organization  of 
its  inhabitants  presented  a  picture  such  as  had  disap 


14  THc.   VELIGHT  MAKERS. 

peared  long  before  on  the  continent  of  Europe.  Every 
where  there  prevailed  linguistic  segregation,  —  divisions  into 
autonomous  groups  called  tribes  or  stocks,  and  within  each 
„  *  Xytt«v«t  of  thesC)  equally  autonomous  clusters,  whose  mutual  alli- 
»*>/**7  /•*  ance  for  purposes  of  sustenance  and  defence  constituted 
the  basis  of  tribal  society.  The  latter  clusters  were  the 
"_,"  clans,  and  they  originated  during  the  beginnings  of  the 
human  family.  Every  clan  formed  a  group  of  supposed 
blood -relatives,  looking  back  to  a  mythical  or  traditional 
common  ancestor.  Descent  from  the  mother  being  always 
plain,  the  clan  claimed  descent  in  the  female  line  even  if 
every  recollection  of  the  female  ancestor  were  lost,  and 
theoretically  all  the  members  of  one  clan  were  so  many 
brothers  and  sisters.  This  organization  still  exists  in  the 
majority  of  tribes ;  the  members  of  one  clan  cannot  inter 
marry,  and,  if  all  the  women  of  a  clan  die,  that  clan  dies 
out  also,  since  there  is  nobody  left  to  perpetuate  it.  The 
4_  tribe  is  in  reality  but  a  league ;  the  clan  is  the  unit. 
At  the  time  we  speak  of,  the  affairs  of  each  tribe  were 
administered  by  an  assembly  of  delegates  from  all  its  clans 
who  at  the  same  time  arbitrated  inevitable  disputes  between 
the  several  blood- relations. 

Each  clan  managed  its  own  affairs,  of  wliich  no  one 
outside  of  its  members  needed  to  know  anything.  Since 
the  husbands  always  belonged  to  a  different  consanguine 
group  from  their  wives,  and  the  children  followed  their 
mother's  line  of  descent,  the  family  was  permanently  di 
vided.  There  was  really  no  family  in  our  sense  of  the 
word.  The  Indian  has  an  individual  name  only.  He 
is,  in  addition,  distinguished  by  the  name  of  his  clan, 
V  which  in  turn  has  its  proper  cognomen.  The  affairs  of 
the  father's  clan  did  not  concern  his  wife  or  his  children, 
whereas  a  neighbour  might  be  his  confidant  on  such  mat 
ters.  The  mother,  son,  and  daughter  spoke  among  them- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  15 

selves  of  matters  of  which  the  father  was  not  entitled  to 
know,  and  about  which  he  scarcely  ever  felt  enough  curi 
osity  to  inquire.  Consequently  there  grew  a  habit  of  not 
caring  about  other  people's  affairs  unless  they  affected  one's 
own,  and  of  confiding  secrets  to  those  only  whom  they 
could  concern,  and  who  were  entitled  to  know  them. 
In  the  course  of  time  the  habit  became  a  rule  of  edu 
cation.  Reticence,  secrecy,  discretion,  are  therefore  no 
virtues  with  the  Indian;  they  are  simply  the  result  of 
training. 

Okoya  too  had  been  under  the  influence  of  such  train-  Mf^ 
ing,  and  he  knew  that  Shyuote,  young  as  he  was,  had  al-  t^jw 
ready  similar  seeds   planted  within  him.     But  uncertainty  />• 
was   insufferable ;    it   weighed   too   heavily  upon   him,  he   fr  /U* 
could  no  longer  bear  it. 

"Umo,"  he  burst  out,  turning  abruptly  and  looking  at  7 
the  boy  in  an  almost  threatening  manner,  "how  do  you 
know  that  I  dislike  the  Koshare?" 

Shyuote  cast  his  eyes  to  the  ground,  and  remained  si 
lent.  His  brother  repeated  the  query;  the  little  fellow 
only  shrugged  his  shoulders.  With  greater  insistence  the 
elder  proceeded,  — 

"  Shyuote  Tihua,  who  told  you  that  the  Delight  Makers 
are  not  precious  to  me,  nor  I  to  them?  " 

Shyuote  shook  his  head,  pouted,  and  stared  vacantly  to 
one  side.  He  manifestly  refused  to  answer. 

Cold  perspiration  stood  on  the  brow  of  the  elder  brother ; 
his  body  quivered  in  anguish ;  he  realized  the  truth  of 
his  suspicions.  Unable  any  longer  to  con'rol  himself  he 
cried,  — 

"  It  is  my  mother  who  told  them  !  " 

Trembling,  with  clenched  hands  and  gnashing  teeth,  he 
gazed  at  the  child  unconsciously.  Shyuote,  frightened  at 
his  wild  and  menacing  attitude,  and  ignorant  of  the  real 


1 6  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

cause  of  his  brother's  excitement,  raised  his  hand  to  his 
forehead  and  began  to  sob. 

A  shout  coming  from  the  immediate  vicinity  aroused  and 
startled  Okoya.  A  voice  called  out  to  him,  — 

"Umo!" 

He  looked  around  in  surprise.  They  were  standing 
close  to  the  cultivated  plots,  and  a  man  loomed  up  from 
between  the  maize-plants.  He  it  was  who  called,  and  as 
soon  as  Okoya  turned  toward  him  he  beckoned  the  youth 
to  come  nearer.  Okoya's  face  darkened ;  he  reluctantly 
complied,  leaped  over  the  ditch,  walked  up  to  the  inter 
locutor,  and  stood  still  before  him  in  the  attitude  of  quiet 
expectancy  with  downcast  eyes.  Shyuote  had  dropped  to 
the  ground ;  the  call  did  not  interfere  with  his  sobs ;  he 
pouted  rather  than  grieved. 

Okoya's  interlocutor  was  a  man  of  strong  build,  appar 
ently  in  the  forties.  His  features,  although  somewhat  flat 
and  broad,  created  a  favourable  impression  at  first ;  upon 
closer  scrutiny,  however,  the  eyes  modified  that  impres 
sion.  They  were  small,  and  their  look  piercing  rather 
than  bright.  His  costume  was  limited  to  a  tattered 
breechclout  of  buckskin.  A  collar  of  small  white  shells 
encircled  the  neck,  and  from  this  necklace  dangled  a 
triangular  piece  of  alabaster,  flat,  and  with  a  carving 
on  it  suggesting  the  shape  of  a  dragon-fly.  His  hair 
streamed  loose  over  the  left  ear,  where  there  was  fas 
tened  to  the  black  coarse  strands  a  tuft  of  grayish 
down. 

This  individual  eyed  Okoya  in  silence  for  a  moment, 
is  if  inspecting  his  person ;  then  he  inquired,  — 

"  Where  do  you  come  from?  " 

The  young  fellow  looked  up  and  replied,  — 

"  From  below,"  pointing  to  the  lower  end  of  the 
forge. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  1 7 

"What  did  you  hunt?  "  the  other  continued,  glancing  at 
the  bow  and  arrows  of  the  boy. 

"Tzina;"  and  with  perceptible  embarrassment  Okoya 
added,  "but  I  killed  nothing." 

The  man  seemed  not  to  heed  the  humiliation  which  thi? 
confession  entailed,  and  asked,  — 

"  Have  you  seen  tracks  of  the  mountain-sheep  down 
yonder? " 

"  Not  one ;  but  I  saw  at  a  distance  on  the  slope  two  bears 
very  large  and  strong." 

The  other  shook  his  head. 

"  Then  there  are  no  mountain  sheep  toward  that  end  of 
the  Tyuonyi,"  he  said,  waving  his  left  hand  toward  the 
southeast,  "thank  you,  boy,"  at  the  same  time  extending 
his  right  to  the  youth.  Okoya  grasped  it,  and  breathed  on 
the  outside  of  the  hand.  Then  he  said,  "  hoa  umo,"  and 
turned  and  sauntered  back  to  where  his  little  brother  was 
still  squatting  and  pouting,  morose  and  silent. 

The  man  had  also  turned  around,  bent  down,  and  gone 
on  weeding  the  corn.  Withal  he  did  not  lose  sight  of  the 
boys ;  on  the  contrary,  an  occasional  stealthy  glance  from 
his  half-closed  eyes  shot  over  where  they  met. 

Shyuote  rose  from  the  ground.  His  eyes  were  dry,  but 
he  glanced  at  his  brother  with  misgivings  as  well  as  with 
curiosity.  The  latter  felt  a  sudden  pang  upon  beholding 
the  childish  features.  The  short  interruption,  though  an 
noying  at  first,  had  diverted  him  from  gloomy  thoughts. 
Now,  everything  came  back  to  his  mind  with  renewed 
force,  —  the  same  anguish,  the  feeling  of  utter  helplessness 
in  case  of  impending  danger,  indignation  at  what  he  be 
lieved  to  have  been  base  treason  on  the  part  of  his  mother, 
—  all  this  rushed  upon  him  with  fearful  force,  and  he  stood 
again  motionless,  a  picture  of  wild  perplexity.  His  face 
betokened  the  state  of  his  mind.  Shyuote  did  not  dare  to 

2 


1 8  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

inquire  of  him  further  than  to  ask  a  very  insignificant  ques« 
tion,  —  namely,  who  the  man  was  that  had  called. 

Okoya  answered  readily,  for  this  query  was  almost  a  re 
lief,  —  a  diversion  which  enabled  him  to  subdue  his  agita 
tion.  "Tyope  Tihua,"  he  said  hastily,  "wanted  to  know  if 
I  had  seen  any  mountain  sheep.  I  told  him  that  I  had 
only  seen  bear- tracks.  Let  him  follow  those,"  he  growled. 
"  Come  on,  satyumishe,  it  is  getting  late." 

While  this  conversation  had  been  carried  on,  the  boys, 
now  hurrying  and  now  slackening  their  pace,  had  arrived 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  tall  clay-pile,  which  was  seen 
to  be  a  high  polygonal  building,  apparently  closed  on  all 
sides.  Between  them  and  this  edifice  there  was  still  an 
other  lower  one,  not  unlike  an  irregular  honey-comb. 
About  forty  cells,  separated  from  each  other  by  walls  of 
earth,  carried  up  from  the  ground  to  a  few  inches  above 
the  terraced  roof,  constituted  a  ground-floor  on  which 
rested  a  group  of  not  more  than  a  dozen  similar  cells. 
The  walls  of  this  structure  were  of  stones,  irregularly  bro 
ken  and  clumsily  piled,  but  they  were  covered  by  a  thick 
coating  of  clay  so  that  nothing  of  the  rough  core  remained 
visible.  Instead  of  doors  or  entrances,  air-holes,  round  or 
oval,  perforated  these  walls. 

The  house  appeared  empty.  No  smoke  flitted  over  the 
flat  roof ;  the  coating  was  so  recent  that  many  places  were 
hardly  dry. 

North  of  this  building,  a  circular  structure  thirty  feet  in 
diameter  rose  a  few  feet  only  above  the  soil,  like  the  upper 
part  of  a  sunken  cylinder.  Its  top  was  flat,  and  large  flags 
of  stone  formed  a  rough  staircase  leading  to  its  roof.  In  the 
centre,  a  square  opening  appeared,  out  of  which  a  tall  beam, 
notched  at  regular  intervals  like  a  primitive  ladder,  pro 
truded,  and  down  which  also  the  beam  disappeared  as  if 
extended  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  This  edifice,  half 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  ig 

underground,  half  above  the  soil,  was  what  to-day  is  called 
in  New  Mexico  an  estufa.1    This  Spanish  word  has  become    > 
a  technical  term,  and  we  shall  hereafter  use  it  in  the  course 
of  the  story  as  well  as  the  designations  tshikia  and  kaaptsh 
of  the  Queres  Indians. 

The  estufas  were  more  numerous  in  a  single  pueblo  for 
merly  than  they  are  now.  Nor  are  they  always  sunken.  At 
the  Rito  there  were  at  least  ten,  five  of  which  were  circular 
chambers  in  the  rock  of  the  cliffs.  These  chambers  or 
halls  were,  in  the  times  we  speak  of,  gathering  places  for 
men  exclusively.  No  woman  was  permitted  to  enter,  unless 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  food  to  the  inmates.  Each  clan 
had  its  own  estufa,  and  the  young  men  slept  in  it  under  the 
surveillance  of  one  or  more  of  the  aged  principals,  until  they 
married,  and  frequently  even  afterward. 

There  the  young  men  became  acquainted  with  the  affairs 
of  their  individual  connections,  and  little  by  little  also  with 
the  business  of  the  tribe.  There,  during  the  long  evenings 
of  winter,  old  men  taught  them  the  songs  and  prayers  em 
bodying  traditions  and  myths,  first  of  their  own  clan,  then  of 
the  tribe.2  The  estufa  was  school,  club-house,  nay,  armory 
to  a  certain  extent.  It  was  more.  Many  of  the  prominent 
religious  exercises  took  place  in  it.  The  estufa  on  special  , 
occasions  became  transformed  into  a  temple  for  the  clan 
who  had  reared  it. 

From  the  depths  of  this  structure  there  came  a  series  of 

1  Estufa  properly  means  a  stove,  and  the  name  was  applied  to  those 
semi-subterranean  places  by  the  Spaniards  on  account  of  their  com 
fortable  temperature  in  winter.      They  recalled  to  them  the  temax- 
calli,  or  sweat-houses,  of  Mexico. 

2  The  preservation  of  traditions  is  much  systematized  among  the 
Pueblo  Indians.      Certain  societies  know  hardly  any  other  but  the 
folk-tales  relating  to  their  own  particular  origin.     To  obtain  correct 
tradition  it  is  necessary  to  gain  the  confidence  of  men  high  in  degree 
That  is  mostly  very  difficult. 


20  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

dull  sounds  like  beats  of  a  drum.  The  youngsters  stopped 
short,  and  looked  at  each  other  in  surprise. 

"The  new  house,"  whispered  Okoya,  "which  the  Corn- 
clan  have  built  here  is  empty,  yet  there  is  somebody  in  its 
estufa.  What  may  this  mean  ?" 

"  Let  us  look  into  it,"  eagerly  suggested  Shyuote. 

"  Go  you  alone  !"  directed  the  elder  brother.  "  I  will 
walk  on,  and  you  can  overtake  me  by-and-by." 

That  suited  Shyuote.  He  crept  stealthily  toward  the 
round  building.  There  was  an  air-hole  in  the  rim  which 
rose  above  the  ground.  Crouching  like  a  cat,  the  boy 
cautiously  peered  through  this  opening,  but  quickly  with 
drew  with  an  expression  of  disappointment.  The  under 
ground  chamber  was  not  even  finished ;  its  walls  were  dark 
and  raw,  the  floor  rough,  and  on  this  floor  a  half-dozen 
young  fellows  in  every  stage  of  dress  or  undress  were  loung 
ing.  One  of  them  mechanically  touched  a  small  drum  with 
a  stick,  while  two  or  three  of  the  others  were  humming  a 
monotonous  tune  to  the  rhythm  of  his  rappings.  Shyuote 
stole  away  in  evident  discontent ;  his  curiosity  was  satisfied, 
but  at  the  expense  of  his  expectations. 

Loud  laughter,  screams,  and  animated  talking  diverted 
his  attention,  and  caused  him  to  run  in  the  direction  of  the 
new  house  of  the  Corn  clan.  He  heard  the  voice  of  his 
brother,  but  at  the  same  time  women's  voices  also,  and  as 
soon  as  he  turned  the  farther  corner  of  the  building,  he  saw 
what  was  plainly  a  playful  encounter  between  Okoya  and 
a  pair  of  young  girls. 

The  former  had  his  bow  in  hand  ready  to  shoot,  and  he 
pointed  the  arrow  at  the  maidens  alternately ;  they,  utterly 
unconcerned  about  his  weapon,  were  pressing  him  with 
weapons  of  their  own,  which  he  was  much  more  anxious  to 
avoid  than  th^y  his  missiles.  These  were  two  pairs  of  very 
'Urty  hands  filled  and  covered  with  liqu'd  mud  with  which 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  21 

the  damsels  attempted  to  decorate  his  person.  Okoya  was 
clearly  on  the  defensive,  and  the  advantage  so  far  seemed 
on  the  side  of  his  agressors.  Shyuote  flew  to  his  assistance. 
Rushing  to  a  large  vessel  of  burnt  clay,  standing  alongside 
the  wall  and  filled  with  water,  he  plunged  both  hands  into  it, 
and  began  to  bespatter  the  assailants  with  the  not  very 
clean  liquid.  Forthwith  one  of  the  girls  turned  against  the 
new  enemy.  She  was  older  and  taller  than  Shyuote.  Seiz 
ing  his  raven  locks  she  pulled  him  to  the  ground  on  his 
face,  knelt  on  the  prostrate  form,  and  then  and  there  gave 
the  boy  a  series  of  energetic  cuffs  against  which  the  young 
ster  struggled  and  wriggled  in  the  most  desperate  but 
absolutely  ineffectual  manner.  The  fair  sex  held  the  bal 
ance  of  power  and  wielded  it.  At  every  attempt  of  Shyuote  \ 
to  rise  or  to  roll  over,  she  pushed  his  face  back  into  the 
moist  ground,  she  pulled  his  hair,  thumped  his  shoulders, 
and  boxed  his  ears.  She  was  in  earnest,  and  Shyuote  was 
powerless  in  her  firm  grasp.  He  could  not  even  scream, 
for  a  thick  coating  of  soil  had  fastened  itself  to  his  features, 
had  penetrated  into  eye,  mouth,  and  nostrils.  His  fate  was 
as  melancholy  as  it  was  ludicrous ;  it  brought  about  a  truce 
between  Okoya  and  the  other  maiden.  They  dropped,  he 
the  weapon,  she  her  muddy  arms,  and  looked  at  the  other 
set  of  combatants  with  surprise  and  with  immoderate 
laughter.  The  Indian  is  not  tender-hearted  on  such  occa 
sions.  When  the  victorious  beauty  at  last  arose,  suffering 
her  victim  to  turn  over  again,  the  merriment  became  up 
roarious,  for  Shyuote  presented  the  appearance  of  a  blow 
ing,  spitting,  coughing,  statue  of  dirt.  His  looks  were  in 
no  manner  improved  by  his  frenzy  after  the  boy  had  rubbed 
his  eyes,  and  recovered  his  breath.  Tears  of  rage  rolled 
down  his  cheeks  over  patches  of  sand  and  mud,  and  when 
he  noticed  the  mirth  of  the  others  Shyuote's  fury  knew  no 
bounds.  He  rushed  madly  at  the  triumphant  lass,  who 


22  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

did  not  shrink  from  the  hostile  approach.  The  contest 
was  threatening  to  assume  serious  proportions,  when  an 
other  person  appeared  upon  the  scene,  at  the  sight  of 
whom  even  Shyuote  temporarily  stayed  all  demonstrations, 
while  Okoya  seemed  both  startled  and  embarrassed.  The 
new-comer  was  a  young  girl  too ;  she  carried  on  her  head 
a  vessel  of  burnt  clay  similar  to  a  flat  urn,  decorated  with 
black  and  red  designs  on  cream-coloured  ground,  and  filled 
with  water. 

To  understand  this  scene  we  must  know  that  the  two  girls 
had  been  engaged  in  putting  on  the  last  coat  of  plaster  to 
the  walls  of  the  abode  of  the  Corn  people,  when  Okoya 
suddenly  came  upon  them.  At  a  glance  they  saw  that  he 
had  been  on  a  hunt,  and  also  that  he  had  hunted  in  vain. 
Here  was  a  welcome  opportunity  for  jeering  and  mockery. 
They  interrupted  their  plastic  labour,  and  turned  against 
him  with  such  merciless  allusions  to  his  ill-success,  that  un 
able  any  longer  to  reply  to  their  sarcasm  Okoya  threatened 
them,  in  jest  of  course,  with  his  bow.  Instead  of  desisting, 
the  girls  at  once  moved  upon  him  with  muddy  hands. 
The  one  who  last  appeared  upon  the  scene,  although  assis 
tant  to  the  others,  inasmuch  as  she  carried  the  water  needed 
in  the  preparation  of  the  mud  for  plastering,  had  not  seen 
the  engagement  just  fought.  She  looked  at  the  group  in 
blank  surprise,  stood  still  without  lifting  the  bowl  from  her 
head,  and  presented  thus  the  appearance  of  a  handsome 
statue,  dusky  and  graceful,  whose  lustrous  black  eyes  alone 
moved,  glancing  from  one  of  the  members  of  the  group  to 
the  other.  Those  large  expressive  eyes  plainly  asked, 
"What  does  all  this  mean?" 

The  antagonists  of  Okoya  and  Shyuote  were  buxom 
lasses,  rather  short,  thick-waisted,  full-chested,  with  flat 
faces,  prominent  cheek-bones,  and  bright  eyes.  The  third 
maiden  was  taller  and  much  more  graceful ;  her  features  were 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2$ 

less  coarse,  less  prominently  distinctive.  The  nose  was  well- 
proportioned,  the  mouth  also,  although  the  lips  were  rather 
heavy.  The  eyes  were  large  and  beaming,  soft  yet  not 
without  an  intelligent  expression.  All  three  girls  were 
dressed  nearly  alike.  A  dark-blue  cotton  garment  descended 
as  far  as  the  knees ;  it  was  tied  over  the  left  shoulder,  and 
the  right  was  exposed.  A  red-tinged  scarf  served  as  belt 
around  the  waist.  Arms  and  feet  were  bare.  The  long 
black  hair  streamed  loosely.  Two  of  them  wore  heavy 
necklaces  of  green  stones,  red  pebbles,  and  shell  beads- 
The  last  comer  carried  only  a  single  string  of  shell  beads 
with  an  iridescent  conch  fastened  to  it  in  front.  Ear-pen 
dants  of  turquoises  hung  from  the  ears  of  all  three. 

The  attention  of  the  girl  with  the  urn  on  her  head  soon 
rested  on  Shyuote,  and  she  was  the  first  to  break  the 
silence  by  a  hearty  peal  of  laughter.  This  started  her  com 
panions  again,  and  the  one  nearest  to  Okoya  exclaimed,  — 

"  Mitsha  help  us  throw  the  water  in  your  urn  over  the 
head  of  the  boy.  Okoya  began  it  all,  give  it  to  him,  too. 
You  are  strong  enough." 

At  the  mention  of  Okoya's  name  the  maiden  addressed 
as  Mitsha  started.  She  threw  a  quick  glance  like  a  flash  at 
him.  Her  face  quivered  and  coloured  slightly.  Turning 
away,  she  deposited  the  water-urn  at  the  foot  of  the  wall, 
and  remained  standing,  her  eyes  directed  to  the  cliffs,  her 
lithe  fingers  carelessly  playing  with  the  beads  of  her  neck 
lace.  She  was  disinclined  to  take  any  part  in  the  fray,  and 
her  behaviour  acted  as  a  damper  on  the  buoyancy  of  the 
others.  Okoya  hastily  gathered  up  his  arrows,  and  called 
Shyuote  to  his  side.  But  the  boy  did  not  care  to  obey. 
Thirst  for  revenge  held  him  to  the  spot  of  his  defeat ;  he 
shook  his  fists  at  the  girls,  clenched  his  teeth,  and  began  to 
threaten  vengeance,  and  to  shower  uncomplimentary  ex 
pressions  upon  them.  As  soon,  however,  as  the  one  wha 


24  ItfE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

had  so  effectually  routed  him  showed  again  a  decided 
movement  toward  his  raven  locks,  he  beat  a  hasty  retreat  to 
his  elder  brother.  This  change  of  base  excited  new  hilarity, 
and  under  a  shower  of  jokes  and  sarcasms  the  two  boys  de 
parted.  Okoya  walked  along  at  a  steady  gait ;  but  Shyuote, 
as  soon  as  he  considered  the  distance  safe  enough,  turned 
around,  making  grimaces  at  the  belligerent  damsels,  vowing 
vengeance,  and  uttering  opprobrious  epithets  of  the  choicest 
kind.  He  noticed  that  the  two  returned  his  compliments 
without  reserve,  whereas  Mitsha  stood  in  silence  leaning 
against  the  house-wall.  One  single  look,  one  earnest 
almost  sad  glance,  she  sent  after  the  disappearing  form 
of  Shyuote 's  elder  brother. 

The  main  building  was  now  close  at  hand.  It  was  an 
irregular  pentagon,  and  at  places  two,  at  others  three 
stories  high.  With  one  single  exception  these  stories 
formed  terraces,  retreating  successively  from  the  ground  to 
the  top  like  so  many  steps  of  a  staircase.  Nowhere  did 
there  appear  any  entrance.  Notched  beams  led  up  to  trap 
doors  in  the  roofs,  similar  beams  penetrated  into  the  in 
terior  below.  Absolute  stillness  reigned  about  the  edifice. 
Some  women  scoured  scanty  clothing  in  the  ditch  running 
past  the  structure ;  on  the  terraces  not  a  soul  appeared. 
The  lads  directed  their  course  toward  that  side  where  the 
three  stories  presented  a  perpendicular  wall,  and  as  they 
neared  it  an  entrance,  or  doorway,  high  enough  for  a  man 
and  wide  enough  for  four  abreast  appeared  in  the  vertical 
front.  It  led  them  through  a  dark  passage  into  an  interior 
court  which  was  fairly  clean  and  contained  three  estufas. 
Its  diameter  did  not  exceed  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet. 

Toward  this  court,  or  yard,  the  stories  of  the  building 
descended  in  terraces  also ;  but  though  everywhere  beams 
leaned  up  as  ladders,  access  to  the  ground-floor  was  also 
±forded  bv  narrow  doorways  closed  with  hides  or  mats.  Ir 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2$ 

was  hot  and  quiet  in  this  yard ;  the  sun  shed  glaring  light 
into  it  and  over  the  roofs.  Naked  urchins  played  and 
squirmed  below,  whereas  above,  an  old  woman  or  some 
aged  man  would  cower  motionless,  shading  their  blear  eyes 
with  one  hand  and  warming  their  cold  frames  in  the  heat. 
Okoya  went  directly  to  one  of  the  ground-floor  openings, 
lifted  the  deer-skin  that  hung  over  it,  and  called  out  the 
usual  greeting,  — 

"  Guatzena !  " 

"  Opona,  —  'come  in,'"  responded  a  woman's  voice. 
Both  lads  obeyed  the  summons.  At  first  the  room  seemed 
dark  on  account  of  the  sudden  contrast  with  the  glare  out 
side,  but  as  soon  as  this  first  impression  was  overcome,  it 
appeared  moderately  lighted.  It  was  a  chamber  about  four 
teen  feet  long  and  ten  feet  wide,  and  its  walls  were  white 
washed  with  burnt  gypsum.  Deer-hides  and  a  mat  plaited 
of  yucca-leaves  lay  rolled  up  in  one  corner.  A  niche  con 
tained  a  small  earthen  bowl,  painted  white  with  black 
symbolic  figures.  A  doorway  to  the  right  led  into  another 
compartment  which  seemed  darker  than  the  first.  As  soon 
as  the  boys  entered  the  room,  a  woman  appeared  in  this 
side  doorway.  She  was  small,  slender,  and  apparently 
thirty-five  years  of  age.  Her  features,  notwithstanding  the 
high  cheek-bones,  were  attractive  though  wan  and  thin. 
An  air  of  physical  suffering  lay  over  them  like  a  thin  cloudy 
veil.  At  the  sight  of  this  woman,  Okoya's  heart  began  to 
throb  again ;  for  she  it  was  whom  he  so  direly  suspected, 
nay,  accused  of  treachery  and  deceit.  This  woman  was  his 
mother. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  homes  of  the  Pueblo  Indians  of  New  Mexico,  espe 
cially  as  regards  the  size  and  disposition  of  the  rooms,  are 
to-day  slightly  modified  from  what  they  were  in  former 
times.  An  advance  has  been  made,  inasmuch  as  the  build 
ings  are  not  any  longer  the  vast  and  ill-ventilated  honey 
combs  composed  of  hundreds  of  dingy  shells,  which  they 
were  centuries  ago.  The  houses,  while  large  and  many- 
storied,  are  compartively  less  extensive,  and  the  apart 
ments  less  roomy  than  at  the  time  when  the  Queres  lived 
in  the  Rito  de  los  Frijoles. 

The  two  rooms  where  we  left  the  lads  and  their  mother 
at  the  close  of  the  preceding  chapter  formed  such  a  home. 
In  the  front  one  the  family  slept  at  night,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  Okoya  who  was  obliged  to  join  the  other  youths  in 
the  estufa  of  his  clan.  The  husband  was  not  always  at 
home  after  sunset.  But  the  mother,  Shyuote,  and  a  little 
girl  four  years  old  invariably  took  their  nightly  rest  there. 
To  the  little  girl  we  have  not  yet  been  introduced.  When 
the  boys  returned  she  was  in  the  court-yard  at  play,  and  in 
the  usual  state  of  complete  undress  which  is  the  regular 
condition  of  Indian  children  of  her  age. 

The  inner  cell  was  kitchen  and  store-room,  and  there 
the  family  partook  of  their  meals. 

Among  the  Pueblos  the  house  was  in  charge  of  the 
women  exclusively,  everything  within  the  walls  of  the  house, 
the  men's  clothing  and  weapons  excepted,  belonging  to  the 


.  j» 

7V7J?  DELIGHT  MAKERS  2?     fgT 


housekeeper.     Even  the  crops  if  once  housed  were  con-  7  ^ 


trolled   by   her.     As  long  as  they  were  in  the   field,  the       «£* 
husband  or  masculine  head  of  the  family  could  dispose  of 

them.     Afterward  he  must  consult  the  woman,  and  he  could 

***  ' 


t/jp 

not  sell  an  ear  of  corn  without  her  consent.     It  is  still  so 

to-day  in  many  villages.  Formerly  all  the  field-products 
were  gathered  and  stored  in  the  granaries  of  the  several 
clans  whence  each  household  drew  its  supplies.  Even  the 
proceeds  of  communal  hunts  and  fisheries  were  treated  in 
this  manner.  Only  where  the  husband,  son,  or  brother 
killed  game  while  out  alone,  could  he  do  with  it  as  he 
pleased. 

Not  many  centuries  ago  the  members  of  each  clan,  or 
rather  the  women,  their  offspring,  and  aged  people  who 
were  taken  care  of  by  their  children,  lived  together.  They 
occupied  a  certain  section  of  the  great  hive  which  the  com 
munal  dwelling  represented,  and  such  a  section  was  not  un- 
appropriately  called  in  Spanish  a  quartel  or  quarter.  The 
husband  also  stayed  with  his  wife  and  the  younger  children, 
but  he  had  no  rights  as  owner,  or  proprietor,  to  his  abode. 
Since  it  was  the  custom  for  women  to  raise  the  walls  of  V^ 
buildings,  and  to  finish  the  house  inside  and  outside,  they 
owned  it  also.  The  man  was  only  tolerated.  His  home 
was  properly  with  his  clan,  whither  he  must  return  in  case 
his  spouse  departed  this  life  before  him. 

It  was  different  in  regard  to  the  fields.  Each  clan  had 
its  particular  holding,  and  since  the  field-work  devolved 
upon  the  men,  the  cultivated  plots  belonged  to  them  alone. 
Within  each  allotment  every  member  who  was  of  age,  or 
so  situated  as  to  have  to  support  himself  or  a  family,  owned 
and  tilled  a  certain  plot  which  was  his  by  common  consent, 
although  in  no  manner  determined  by  metes  or  bounds. 
The  condition  of  ownership  was  regular  improvement  of  the 
plot,  and  if  that  condition  wa*  uat  complied  with,  any  othei 


28  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

member  of  the  same  clan  could  step  in  and  work  it  for  his 
own  benefit.  In  case  of  death  the  field  reverted  to  the  ma 
ternal  relative  of  its  owner,  whereas  the  widow  and  children 
f  fell  back  for  support  upon  the  resources  of  their  own  clan. 
Hence  the  singular  feature  that  each  household  got  its  live 
lihood  from  two  distinct  groups  of  blood-relatives.  The 
home  which  we  have  entered  belonged  to  the  quarters  of 
the  Gourd  people,  or  clan  Tanyi  hanutsh,  from  which  the 
mother  descended ;  and  Okoya  had  slept  at  night  in  the 
estufa  of  that  cluster  ever  since  his  thirteenth  year.  But 
the  cultivated  patch  which  the  father  tilled  pertained  to  the 
fields  of  his  clan,  that  of  Water,  Tzitz  hanutsh.  Though 
the  Water  people  were  his  relatives,  the  crop  raised  by  him 
found  its  way  into  the  store-room  of  Tanyi  for  the  support 
of  the  family  which  he  claimed  as  his  own. 

Okoya's  mother  scanned  her  boys  with  a  sober  glance, 
and  turned  back  into  the  kitchen  without  uttering  a 
word. 

Soon  a  grating  sound  issued  from  that  apartment,  indi 
cating  that  toasted  corn  was  being  ground  on  the  flat  slab 
called  in  Queres,  yakkat,  and  now  usually  termed  metate  in 
New  Mexico.  The  boys  meanwhile  had  approached  a 
niche  in  the  wall.  Each  one  took  a  pinch  of  yellow  corn- 
meal  from  the  painted  bowl,  and  scattered  it  successively 
to  the  north,  west,  south,  east ;  then  threw  a  little  of  it  up 
in  the  air  and  to  the  ground  before  him.  During  this  per 
formance  their  lips  moved  as  if  in  prayer.  Then  they 
separated,  for  the  spirits  had  been  appealed  to,  and  their 
entrance  into  their  home  was  under  the  special  protection 
of  Those  Above.  Shyuote,  whose  trout  had  been  ruined 
during  the  combat  with  the  girls,  threw  himself  on  the  roll 
in  the  corner,  there  to  mourn  over  his  defeat.  Okoya  went 
out  into  the  courtyard.  Both  expected  an  early  meal,  for 
the  fire  crackled  in  the  dark  kitchen,  and  a  clapping  of 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  29 

hands  gave  evidence  that  corn-cakes  were  being  moulded 
to  appease  their  hungry  stomachs. 

The  court-yard  had  become  very  quiet.  Even  the  chil 
dren  had  gone  to  rest  in  a  shady  place,  where  they  slept 
in  a  promiscuous  heap,  a  conglomerate  of  human  bodies, 
heads,  and  limbs,  intermingled.  The  form  of  an  old  man 
rose  out  of  a  hatchway  in  the  ground-floor,  and  a  tall  figure, 
slightly  stooping,  clad  in  a  garment,  and  with  a  head  of  iron 
gray  hair,  stood  on  the  flat  roof.  He  walked  toward  a  beam 
leading  down  into  the  court,  seized  its  upper  end  and  de 
scended  with  his  face  toward  the  wall,  but  without  faltering. 
A  few  steps  along  the  house  brought  him  in  front  of  Okoya, 
who  had  squatted  near  the  doorway  of  his  mother's  dwell 
ing.  The  youth  was  so  absorbed  in  gloomy  thoughts  that 
the  man's  appearance  was  unexpected.  Starting  in  surprise 
and  hastily  rising,  Okoya  called  into  the  house,  — 

"  Yaya,  sa  umo,  —  '  Mother,  my  grandfather  ! '  " 

The  old  man  gave  a  friendly  nod  to  his  grandchild,  and 
crossed  the  threshold,  stooping  low.  Still  lower  the  tall 
form  had  to  bend  while  entering  the  kitchen  door.  He 
announced  his  coming  to  the  inmate  in  a  husky  voice  and 
the  common  formula,  — 

"  Guatzena ! " 

"  Raua,  — '  good,' "  the  woman  replied. 

Her  father  squatted  close  to  the  fire  and  fixed  his  gaze 
on  his  daughter.  She  knelt  on  the  floor  busy  spreading 
dough  or  thick  batter  on  a  heated  slab  over  the  fire.  She 
was  baking  corn-cakes,  —  the  well-known  tortillas  as  they 
are  called  to-day. 

After  a  short  pause  the  old  man  quietly  inquired, — 

"  My  child,  where  is  your  husband?  " 

"Zashue  Tihua,"  the  woman  answered,  without  looking 
up  or  interrupting  her  work,  "  is  in  the  fields." 

"  When  will  he  come  ?  " 


30  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

The  woman  raised  her  right  hand,  and  pointed  to  the 
hole  in  the  wall,  whence  light  came  in  from  the  outside. 
The  wall  faced  the  west,  and  the  height  of  the  loop-hole 
corresponded  to  that  of  the  sun  about  one  hour  before 
sunset. 

"Give  food  to  the  children,"  directed  the  old  man. 
"When  they  have  eaten  and  are  gone  I  shall  speak  to 
you." 

The  /ire  crackled  and  blazed,  and  ruddy  flashes  shot 
across  the  features  of  the  woman.  Was  it  a  mere  reflec 
tion  of  the  fire,  or  had  her  features  quivered  and  coloured  ? 
The  old  man  scanned  those  features  with  a  cold,  steady 
look. 

She  removed  from  the  fire  the  sooty  pot  of  clay  in  which 
venison  cut  in  small  pieces  was  stewing  together  with  corn, 
dark  beans,  and  a  few  roots  and  herbs  as  seasoning.  Then 
she  called  out,  — 

"  Shyuote,  come  and  eat !     Where  is  Okoya  ?" 

The  latter  alone  heard  the  invitation,  for  Shyuote  had 
gone  to  sleep  on  the  hides.  The  elder  brother  shook  him, 
and  went  into  the  kitchen.  He  was  followed  by  the  child 
who  staggered  from  drowsiness.  The  mother  meanwhile 
had  placed  on  the  floor  a  pile  of  corn-cakes.  Beside  it,  in 
an  earthen  bowl  decorated  inside  and  out  with  geometrical 
lines,  steamed  the  stew.  Dinner  was  ready;  the  table 
spread. 

To  enjoy  this  meal  both  lads  squatted,  but  Shyuote,  still 
half  asleep,  lost  his  balance  and  tumbled  over.  Angry  at 
the  merriment  which  this  created,  the  boy  hastily  grabbed 
the  food,  but  his  mother  interfered. 

"  Don't  be  so  greedy,  uak,  — '  urchin.'  Remember  Those 
Above,"  she  said  ;  and  Shyuote,  imitating  the  example  of 
Okoya,  crossly  muttered  a  prayer,  and  scattered  crumbs 
before  him.  Then  only,  both  fell  to  eating. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  31 

This  was  done  by  simply  folding  a  slice  of  the  cake  to 
form  a  primitive  ladle,  and  dipping  the  contents  of  the  stew  V 
out  with  it.  Thus  they  swallowed  meat,  broth,  and  finally 
the  ladle  also.  Okoya  arose  first,  uttering  a  plainly  audible 
hoa.  Shyuote  ate  longer;  at  last  he  wiped  his  mouth 
with  the  seam  of  his  wrap,  grumbled  something  intended 
for  thanksgiving,  and  strolled  back  to  his  resting  place  in 
the  front  room.  Okoya  went  out  into  the  court-yard  to  be 
alone  with  his  forebodings.  The  sight  of  his  mother  seemed 
oppressive  to  him. 

After  the  boys  had  gone  the  woman  emptied  the  remain 
der  of  the  stew  back  into  the  pot,  filled  the  painted  bowl 
with  water,  and  put  both  vessels  in  a  corner.  Then  she  sat 
down,  leaning  against  the  wall,  looking  directly  toward  her 
father.  Her  face  was  thin  and  wan,  her  cheeks  were  hollow, 
and  her  eyes  had  a  suppressed  look  of  uneasiness. 

The  old  man  remained  quietly  indifferent  as  long  as  the 
meal  lasted ;  then  he  rose,  peeped  cautiously  into  the  outer 
apartment,  resumed  his  seat,  and  spoke  in  a  low  tone,  — 

"  Is  it  true  that  you  have  listened  to  kamonyitza,  —  '  black 
sorn '  ? " 

The  woman  started.  "  Who  says  so  ? "  she  answered 
ivith  sudden  haste. 

"  The  Koshare,"  replied  the  old  man,  looking  at  her  with 
a  cold  steady  gaze. 

"What  do  I  care  for  them,"  exclaimed  his  daughter. 
Her  lips  curled  with  an  air  of  disdain. 

"  It  may  be,"  spoke  her  father,  in  measured  tones,  "  that 
you  do  not  wish  to  hear  from  them ;  but  I  know  that  they 
care  for  your  doings." 

"  Let  them  do  as  they  please." 

"  Woman,"  he  warned,  "  speak  not  thus.  Their  disposi 
tion  toward  you  is  not  a  matter  for  indifference." 

"What  reason  have  they  to  follow  mv  path?     I  am  P 


32  THE   DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

woman  like  many  others  in  the  tribe,  nothing  more  or  less, 
I  stay  with  my  husband,"  she  went  on  with  greater  anima 
tion.  "I  do  my  duty.  What  have  the  Delight  Makers  to 
say  that  might  not  be  for  my  good?" 

"  And  yet,  you  are  not  precious  to  them  —  " 

"  Neither  are  they  precious  to  me,"  she  cried.  Her  eyes 
sparkled. 

Her  father  heaved  a  deep  sigh.  He  shook  his  head  and 
said  in  a  husky  tone,  — 

"Woman,  your  ways  are  wrong.  I  know  it,  and  the 
Koshare  know  it  also.  They  may  know  more,  much  more 
than  I  could  wish,"  he  added,  and  looked  into  her  eyes 
with  a  searching  sorrowful  glance.  An  awful  suspicion  lay 
in  this  penetrating  look.  Her  face  flushed,  she  bent  her 
head  to  avoid  his  gaze. 

To  the  gloomy  talk  succeeded  a  still  more  gloomy 
silence.  Then  the  woman  lifted  her  head,  and  began 
entreatingly,  — 

"  My  father,  I  do  not  ask  you  to  tell  me  how  you  come 
to  know  all  this ;  but  tell  me,  umo,  what  are  these  Delight 
Makers,  the  Koshare?  At  every  dance  they  appear  and 
always  make  merry.  The  people  feel  glad  when  they  see 
them.  They  must  be  very  wise.  They  know  of  everything 
going  on,  and  drag  it  before  the  people  to  excite  their 
mirth  at  the  expense  of  others.  How  is  it  that  they  know 
so  much?  I  am  but  a  woman,  and  the  ways  of  the  men 
are  not  mine,"  she  raised  her  face  and  her  eyes  flamed ; 
"  but  since  I  hear  that  the  Delight  Makers  wish  me  no  good, 
I  want  to  know  at  least  what  those  enemies  of  mine  are." 

The  old  man  lowered  his  glance  and  sighed. 

"  My  child,"  he  began  softly,  "  when  I  was  young  and  a 
boy  like  your  son  Okoya,  I  cared  little  about  the  Koshare. 
Now  I  have  learned  more."  He  leaned  his  head  against 
the  wall,  pressed  his  lips  firmly  together,  and  continued, 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  33 

"  The  holders  of  the  paths  of  our  lives,  those  who  can 
close  them  when  the  time  comes  for  us  to  go  to  Shipapu, 
where  there  is  neither  sorrow  nor  pain,  have  many  agents 
among  us.  Payatyama  our  Father,  and  Sanashtyaya  our 
Mother  saw  that  the  world  existed  ere  there  was  light, 
and  so  the  tribe  lived  in  the  dark.  Four  are  the  wombs  in 
which  people  grew  up  and  lived,  ere  Maseua  and  Oyoyaua 
his  brother  led  them  to  where  we  are  now,  and  this  world 
which  is  round  like  a  shield  is  the  fourth  womb." 

The  woman  listened  with  childlike  eagerness.  Her  parted 
lips  and  sparkling  eyes  testified  that  everything  was  new  to 
her. 

"  Father,"  she  interrupted,  "  I  knew  nothing  of  this. 
You  are  very  wise.  But  why  are  women  never  told  such 
things?" 

"  Don't  cut  off  my  speech,"  he  said.  "  Because  women 
are  so  forward,  that  is  why  many  things  are  concealed  from 
them." 

"  But,"  she  continued,  heedless  of  his  rebuke,  "  where 
are  the  other  three  worlds  ?  " 

"  This  question  I  shall  answer,"  he  said,  "  for  it  is  wise 
in  you  to  speak  so.  Haatze  the  earth  is  round  and  flat, 
but  it  is  also  thick  like  a  cake.  The  other  three  wombi 
are  down  below  inside,  one  beneath  the  other.  At  Shipapu 
the  people  came  out  upon  this  world  which  is  the  fourth 
womb,  but  it  was  cold  and  dark.  Then  the  great  sun  rose 
in  the  heavens  above.  In  it  Payatyama  dwells,  and  on  if 
he  rides  around  the  world  in  one  day  and  one  night  to  sec 
everything  which  happens.  It  is  day  and  light,  night  and 
dark.  We  have  also  summer  and  heat,  winter  and  cold. 
For  this  reason  there  are  summer-people  and  winter-people, 
some  who  like  to  live  when  it  is  cold  and  others  who  enjoy 
the  heat.  Every  tribe,  eveiy  clan,  has  some  of  both  kinc's. 
Thus  they  came  out  of  the  third  world,  and  thus  they  have 


34  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

remained  until  this  day.  It  was  cold  at  Shipapu  when  the 
people  came  out  on  the  surface,  and  Those  Above  saw  that 
they  felt  weak.  Toward  the  south  it  was  warm  and  bright, 
so  Maseua  and  his  brother  said  to  their  children,  the  men  of 
our  tribe,  '  Go  you  where  there  is  more  light ; '  and  the 
summer  people  they  directed  to  go  along  the  Rio  Grande ; 
the  winter  people  they  sent  south  also  but  far  around  by 
the  east  over  the  plains  where  the  great  buflalo  is  roaming, 
where  the  wind  blows  and  it  is  cold  and  dry.  To  both 
kinds  of  men  they  said,  besides,  'Come  together  in  the 
mountains  and  live  there  in  peace,  each  one  getting  food 
for  himself  and  others  as  you  are  wont  to  do.'  But,  lest  the 
people  might  get  weary  on  their  long  journey,  Maseua  and 
his  brother  commanded  that  from  Shipapu  there  should 
come  forth  a  man  whose  body  was  painted  white  and  black, 
and  who  carried  on  his  head  dried  corn-leaves  instead  of 
feathers.  This  man  began  at  once  to  dance,  to  jump,  and 
to  tumble,  so  that  the  people  laughed  and  their  hearts  be 
came  glad.  This  man  led  the  summer-men  southward, 
and  as  often  as  they  grew  tired  he  danced  again  and  made 
jests ;  and  the  tribe  followed  him  until  they  came  to  where 
we  are  now,  and  all  met  again.  The  summer-people  never 
suffered  hunger  in  all  their  wanderings,  for  their  leader  was 
precious,  and  wherever  they  went  he  caused  the  fruits  to  be 
ripe.  That  man  was  the  Koshare.1  Since  that  time  there 
i£T  have  been  Koshare  in  every  tribe.  Their  task  it  is  to  keep 
the  people  happy  and  merry ;  but  they  must  also  fast,  mortify 
themselves,  and  pray  to  Those  Above  that  every  kind  of 
fruit  may  ripen  in  its  time,  even  the  fruit  in  woman's  womb. 
To  them  is  given  the  yellow  flower  from  the  fertile  bottoms 
which  makes  the  hearts  of  men  glad.  Now  you  know  what 
the  Koshare  are  and,"  he  added  emphatically,  "why  you 

1  This  tradition  was  told  me  by  Tehua  Indians,  and  some  friends 
among  the  Queres  subsequently  confirmed  it. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  35 

should  not  laugh  and  make  merry  when  you  are  not  precious 
to  them." 

The  woman  had  listened  with  breathless  attention.  At 
the  close,  however,  she  hung  her  head  and  sighed.  The  old 
man  gazed  at  her  in  silence.  In  the  outer  room  the  regular 
breathings  of  the  sleeping  boy  were  heard,  otherwise  all  was 
as  still  as  a  grave. 

At  last  she  lifted  her  face  again. 

"  Father,"  she  asked,  "  are  those  who  are  precious  to  the 
holders  of  our  paths,  are  they  always  good?  " 

"  I  need  not  tell  you  about  this,"  he  replied,  fixing  upon 
her  a  penetrating  glance. 

"  I  know  of  nothing  evil,"  she  stammered,  "  unless  it  be 
bad  men." 

"  And  yet  you  have  used  owl's  feathers  ! " 

Her  face  grew  pale.     She  asked  hoarsely,  — 

"  Where  should  I  keep  them  ?  " 

"  The  Koshare  know  it,"  was  the  equally  husky  reply. 

She  started,  her  eyes  gleamed  like  living  coals. 

"  Have  the  Koshare  sent  you  here,  father?  " 

"  No,"  was  the  gloomy  answer ;  "  but  if  the  old  men  come 
to  me  and  say, '  kill  the  witch,'  I  must  do  it.  For  you  know 
I  am  Maseua,  head -war-chief,  and  whatever  the  principals 
command  I  must  do,  even  if  it  takes  the  life  of  my  only 
child  ! " 

The  woman  rose  to  her  feet;  her  attitude  was  one  of 
defiance. 

"  Let  the  Koshare  speak,  and  do  you  as  you  are  com 
manded.  The  time  must  come  when  I  shall  have  to  die. 
The  sooner  it  comes,  the  sooner  shall  I  find  rest  and  peace 
with  our  mother  at  Shipapu." 

Her  father  also  had  risen,  he  clutched  his  cotton  garment 
as  if  a  sudden  chill  went  through  his  body.  Without  a  word 
he  turned  and  went  off  dejected,  stooping,  with  a  heavy  sigh, 


36  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

The  woman  dropped  to  the  floor  beside  the  hearth  with 
a  plaintive  moan.  She  drew  her  hair  over  her  face,  weep 
she  could  not.  The  embers  on  the  hearth  glowed  again, 
casting  a  dull  light  over  the  chamber. 

Say  Koitza,  as  this  wretched  woman  was  called,  was  the 
only  child  of  him  with  whom  she  had  just  had  this  dismal 
interview.  His  name  was  Topanashka  Tihua,  and  he  was 
maseua,  or  head-war-chief,  of  the  tribe.  In  times  of  peace 
the  maseua  is  subordinate  to  the  tapop,  or  civil  governor, 
and  as  often  as  the  latter  communicates  to  him  any  decision 
of  the  tribal  council  he  is  bound  to  execute  it.  Otherwise 
the  maseua  is  really  a  superior  functionary,  for  he  stands  in 
direct  relation  to  the  religious  powers  of  which  we  shall 
hereafter  speak,  and  these  in  reality  guide  and  command 
through  oracles  and  prophetic  utterances.  In  war  the  ma 
seua  has  supreme  command,  and  the  civil  chief  and  the 
diviners,  or  medicine-men,  must  obey  him  implicitly  as  soon 
as  any  campaign  is  started. 

Topanashka  was  a  man  of  great  physical  vigour  notwith 
standing  his  age.  He  was  highly  respected  for  his  skill  and 
bravery,  and  for  his  stern  rectitude  and  obedience  to  strict 
duty.  He  feared  nothing  except  the  supernatural  powers  of 
evil.  There  is  nothing  the  Indian  fears,  nay  hates,  so  much 
as  sorcery.  Topanashka  could  scarcely  believe  that  his 
daughter  had  tampered  with  magic  by  causing  the  dark- 
coloured  com  to  speak,  and  keeping  owl's  feathers  in  her 
possession.  Still,  if  such  were  really  the  case,  he  knew  of 
no  other  course  to  pursue  but  to  execute  the  penalty  which 
according  to  Indian  ideas  she  deserved,  and  which  the 
leading  men  of  the  tribe  composing  its  council  would  un 
doubtedly  mete  out  to  her,  —  death ;  a  cruel,  terrible  death. 
But  she  was  his  only  child,  and  ere  he  placed  faith  in  the 
suspicion  communicated  to  him  in  secret  by  one  of  the  sha 
mans  in  the  tribe,  he  wanted  to  satisfy  himself  from  her  owe 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  37 

behaviour  whether  it  was  true  or  not.  To  his  deepest  sorrow 
Say  Koitza's  behaviour  seemed  to  prove  that  she  was  not 
falsely  accused.  It  was  a  terrible  blow  to  the  old  man,  who 
for  the  first  time  in  his  life  rose  from  a  task  bewildered  and 
hopeless.  Duty  was  to  him  paramount,  and  yet  he  could 
not  utterly  stifle  the  longing  to  save  his  only  child  from  a 
cruel  and  ignominious  fate. 

His  daughter  too  felt  utterly  wretched,  and  despondent 
in  the  highest  degree.  For  the  accusation  against  her  was 
true.  She  had  practised  the  dread  art ;  and  yet,  strange  to 
say,  while  conscious  of  guilt,  in  the  bottom  of  her  heart  she 
felt  herself  innocent.  Let  us  recall  the  past  life  of  the  un 
happy  being  to  see  whether  there  is  in  it  anything  to  explain 
this  apparent  anomaly. 

When  Say  Koitza  was  fourteen  years  of  age  her  husband 
Zashue  Tihua  began  to  pay  her  his  first  attentions.  He 
called  at  her  mother's  home  oftener  than  any  other  youth 
of  her  tribe,  and  one  afternoon,  when  she  was  returning 
from  the  brook  with  a  jar  filled  with  water  on  her  head,  he 
stopped  her,  dipped  some  water  out  of  the  urn,  drank  it, 
and  whispered  something  to  which  she  gave  no  reply, 
hurrying  home  as  rapidly  as  possible.  She  could  not  speak 
to  her  mother  about  this,  for  her  mother  was  hopelessly 
deaf,  and  it  would  not  have  been  proper  to  consult  her 
father,  since  the  father  belonged  of  course  to  another  clan. 
A  whole  night  and  one  full  day  Say  pondered  over  the  case ; 
at  last  her  mind  was  made  up.  The  girl  took  a  dish  filled 
with  corn-cakes  and  rolls  of  sweet  paste  of  the  yucca-fruit, 
and  placed  it  on  her  head.  With  this  load  she  climbed  up 
the  rugged  slope  leading  to  the  dwellings  of  the  Water  clan, 
to  which  Zashue  belonged.  The  lad  was  sitting  in  the  cave 
inhabited  by  his  family,  busying  himself  with  straightening 
arrow  shafts  over  the  fire,  when  the  girl,  pushing  before  her 
the  loaded  tray,  crept  through  the  port-hole.  Silently  she 


38  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

placed  the  food  before  him,  and  went  out  again  without  a 
word.  This  was  her  affirmative  reply  to  his  wooing.  There 
after,  Zashue  visited  the  quarters  of  the  Gourd  people  at  the 
big  house  every  night.  Along  the  foot  of  the  cliffs,  in  soft 
ground,  and  in  a  lonely  sheltered  spot,  he  meanwhile  planted 
four  stakes  connected  by  cross-poles.  From  end  to  end 
cotton  threads  were  drawn  lengthwise,  and  here  Zashue 
wove  a  cotton  wrap  day  after  day.  The  girl  would  steal  out 
to  this  place  also,  carrying  food  to  the  young  artisan.  She 
would  cleanse  his  hair  while  they  chatted  quietly,  shyly  at 
first,  about  the  present  and  the  future.  When  the  mantle 
was  done  and  it  looked  white  and  firm,  Zashue  brought  it 
to  Say  Koitza's  mother,  who  forthwith  understood  the  in 
tention  of  his  gift,  and  felt  gratified  at  the  prospect  of  secur 
ing  a  son-in-law  who  possessed  cotton.  The  plant  was  not 
cultivated  near  the  upper  Rio  Grande  at  that  time,  and  had 
to  be  obtained  from  the  far  south  by  barter.  Many  journeys 
distant,  Pueblo  Indians  lived  also,  and  thither  the  Queres 
went  at  long  intervals  to  trade  and  to  hunt  the  buffalo  on 
the  southwestern  plains. 

Topanashka  also  was  pleased  with  the  suitor.  In  due 
course  of  time  Zashue  Tihua  and  Say  Koitza,  therefore, 
became  man  and  wife. 

Zashue  proved  to  be  a  good  husband,  according  to  In 
dian  ideas.  He  worked  and  hunted  dutifully,  providing 
the  store-rooms  of  Tanyi  Hanutsh  with  supplies  of  which 
his  wife,  and  through  her  he  also,  enjoyed  the  benefit. 
He  spun  cotton  and  wove  it  into  wraps,  scarfs,  and  sashes. 
Furthermore,  he  was  always  good-natured  and  merry.  He 
did  not  spend  too  many  nights  out  of  his  wife's  home, 
either.  They  had  three  children,  Okoya,  Shyuote,  and  a 
little  girl.  Of  these  Shyuote  became  the  father's  favour 
ite,  for  when  the  child  was  yet  small  it  happened  that  his 
father  made  a  vow  to  make  a  Koshare  of  him.  Zashue 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  39 

was  a  Delight  Maker  himself,  and  one  of  the  merriest  of 
ihat  singular  crew.  Among  them  he  was  perhaps  the 
most  popular;  for  while  good-looking,  his  strength  and 
agility  enabled  him  to  perform  in  a  conspicuous  manner, 
and  his  ready  wit  and  quick  conception  of  everything  lu 
dicrous  caused  him  to  shine  as  a  great  light  among  that 
society  of  official  jesters. 

So  the  two  lived  in  quiet  and  sober  content.  Zashue 
was  pleased  with  his  spouse.  She  kept  her  looks  well  with 
advancing  years,  and  while  there  is  never  among  Indians 
that  complete  intimacy  between  man  and  wife  which  en 
genders  fidelity  under  all  circumstances,  while  a  certain 
freedom  of  action  is  always  permitted  to  the  man  toward 
the  other  sex,  Say  had  natural  tact  enough  to  never  pry 
into  such  matters.  She,  in  turn,  did  her  duty.  Always 
at  home,  she  faithfully  fulfilled  her  obligations  as  head 
of  the  house,  and  naturally  shrank  from  all  society  but 
that  of  her  own  sex  and  such  men  as  were  allied  to  her 
by  near  ties  of  relationship.  When  she  told  her  father 
in  that  sad  interview  that  she  was  faithful  to  her  hus 
band,  Say  had  told  the  truth.  And  yet  there  was  some 
thing  that  caused  her  to  plead  guilty. 

The  family  had  lived  contentedly,  and  no  cloud  appeared 
to  hang  over  them  until,  a  few  years  previous  to  the  date 
of  our  story,  Say  Koitza  fell  ill  from  want  of  proper  care, 
Mountain  fever  is  not  infrequently  fatal,  and  it  was  moun 
tain  fever  that  had  seized  upon  the  delicate  frame  of  the 
little  woman.  This  fever  is  often  tenacious  and  inter 
mittent  ;  sometimes  it  is  congestive.  Indian  medicine 
may  cure  a  slight  attack,  and  prevent  too  frequent  returns 
of  more  violent  ones;  but  if  the  case  is  a  serious  one, 
Indian  remedies  are  of  no  avail.  Say  suffered  from  a 
slight  attack  at  first,  and  recovered  from  it.  A  primitive 
cold-water  treatment  was  effective  for  the  time  being;  buf 


40  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

in  the  yeai  ensuing  fever  set  in  again,  and  no  sudorific 
was  of  any  use.  She  tried  a  decoction  of  willow  bark, 
but  it  did  her  no  good.  She  took  the  root  of  the  yucca, 
or  soapweed,  and  drank  the  froth  produced  by  whipping 
water  with  it,  but  gained  no  relief.  The  poor  woman 
did  not  know  that  these  remedies  are  not  employed  by 
the  Indians  in  a  case  like  hers,  but  only  for  toothache 
and,  in  the  case  of  soapweed,  for  consumption. 

Thus  it  went  on  for  three  years.  During  the  dry  sea 
sons  there  were  no  signs  of  the  illness ;  but  as  soon  as,  in 
July  or  August,  thunderstorms  shed  their  moisture  over 
the  mountains,  and  chilly  nights  alternated  with  warm 
sunshine,  the  fever  made  its  appearance.  Two  years  be 
fore  the  rainy  season  had  lasted  unusually  long,  and  it 
was  followed  immediately  by ,  snow- falls.  The  attacks 
from  the  disease  were  therefore  unusually  violent,  and  by 
November  Say  Koitza  thought  herself  dying  from  weak 
ness  and  exhaustion.  Her  condition  was  such  that  her 
husband  felt  alarmed,  and  every  effort  was  made  to  re 
lieve  her  by  the  aid  of  such  arts  as  the  Indian  believes  in. 
The  chief  medicine-man,  or  great  shaman,  of  the  tribe 
had  to  come  and  see  the  patient,  pray  by  her  side,  and 
then  go  home  to  fast  and  mortify  himself  for  four  con 
secutive  days.  His  efforts  had  no  effect  whatever.  Every 
indigenous  medicine  that  was  thought  of  had  been  al 
ready  used,  and  none  had  been  of  any  avail. 

At  last  the  shaman,  encouraged  by  the  many  blue  and 
green  stones,  cotton  wraps,  and  quantities  of  corn  meal 
which  Zashue  Tihua  contributed  in  reward  of  his  jug 
gleries,  resolved  to  make  a  final  trial  by  submitting  him 
self  and  his  associates  to  the  dangerous  ordeal  of  fire-eating 
for  the  invalid's  sake.  This  ceremony  was  always  per 
formed  by  a  certain  group  of  medicine-men,  called  there 
fore  Hakanyi  Chayani,  or  Fire  Shamans.  The  Hishtanyi 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  41 

Chayan  was  their  official  head,  and  he,  with  the  four 
others  belonging  to  the  fire-eating  crew,  fasted  rigorously 
for  four  days  and  nights.  Then  they  went  to  the  house 
of  Say  Koitza,  and  in  her  presence  sang  the  powerful  song, 
while  each  one  of  them  in  turn  waved  a  burning  bunch 
of  long  dry  grass  to  the  six  sacred  regions,  and  each  time 
bit  off  a  piece  of  the  burning  weed  and  chewed  it.  When 
all  had  gone  through  the  performances,  and  their  mouths 
were  well  filled  with  ashes,  each  one  gravely  stepped  up 
to  the  invalid,  and  spat  the  contents  of  his  mouth  in  her 
face.  Then  they  departed  as  quietly  as  they  had  come, 
and  went  home  to  await  the  results  of  the  wonderful  rem 
edy.1  It  was  a  last,  a  supreme  effort. 

The  condition  of  Say  could  not  fail  to  arouse  the  sym 
pathies  of  her  own  sex,  even  outside  of  her  clan.  Many 
were  the  calls  from  compassionate  women.  They  would 
drop  in,  squat  down,  tender  their  services,  suggest  reme 
dies,  and  gossip.  Only  one  woman  made  herself  directly 
useful,  and  that  was  Shotaye,  a  member  of  the  Water  clan. 
Shotaye  was  a  strange  woman.  Nobody  liked  her,  and  yet 
many  applied  to  her  for  relief  in  secret ;  for  Shotaye  pos 
sessed  great  knowledge  of  plants  and  other  remedies,  and 
she  had  a  keen  practical  sense.  But  people  dreaded  her ; 
she  lived  alone  in  her  cave  among  the  abodes  of  the  Water 
people,  and  nobody  knew  but  she  might  know  more  thar 
the  official  medicine-men  themselves.  In  short,  the  major 
ity  of  the  tribe  believed  that  Shotaye  was  a  witch ;  but  the 
woman  was  so  wary  that  nobody  could  prove  her  to  be 
one. 

Shotaye  was  not  an  old  woman.  Her  appearance  was 
not  in  the  least  repulsive,  on  the  contrary.  The  men 
knew  that  the  woman  showed  no  objections  to  occasional 

1  This  fire-cure  was  still  practised  by  the  Queres  not  very  long 
•go. 


42  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

attentions,  even  to  intimacy.  For  this  reason,  also,  she 
was  not  popular  among  her  own  sex. 

Shotaye  had  had  a  husband  once ;  but  he  had  left  her 
and  was  living  with  another  woman.  That  husband  was 
called  Tyope,  badger,  a  man  of  strong  physique  and  one 
averse  to  monotony  in  conjugal  life.  Tyope  was  a  schem 
ing  man,  cunning  and  unscrupulous  in  the  highest  degree ; 
Shotaye  an  energetic  woman,  endowed  with  a  powerful 
will  of  her  own.  Had  there  not  been  the  little  cloud  of 
marital  inconstancy  on  both  sides,  the  pair  would  have  been 
well- assorted  for  good  as  well  as  for  evil.  Tyope  was  a 
Koshare  rather  than  an  agriculturist,  he  spent  his  time 
mostly  in  other  people's  homes  and  in  the  estufa  of  the 
Delight  Makers,  leaving  his  wife  to  provide  for  herself  and 
for  him  also,  whenever  he  chose  to  remain  at  her  house. 
In  short  there  were  flaws  on  both  sides,  and  Shotaye  being 
the  house-mistress  held  the  main  power.  One  fine  evening 
when  Tyope  presented  himself  in  the  grotto  occupied  by  his 
wife,  she  refused  to  recognize  him  any  longer.  He  pro 
tested,  he  stormed,  he  menaced  her ;  it  was  of  no  avail. 
Shotaye  told  him  to  go,  and  he  left.  Henceforth  the  two 
were  mortal  enemies.  The  woman  said  little;  but  he  was 
bent  upon  her  destruction  by  every  possible  means.  She 
kept  on  the  defensive,  avoided  all  conflicts,  and  was  very 
careful  not  to  give  any  cause  for  a  direct  accusation  of 
sorcery.  She  cured  people  incidentally,  never  asking  any 
compensation  for  it.  She  lived  alone,  and  thus  earned 
enough  to  be  independent  of  her  own  clan  if  need  be. 

This  woman  called  on  Say  occasionally,  but  only  between 
the  periods  of  the  attacks  of  fever.  On  such  visits  she 
would  assist  the  patient,  do  the  housework,  and  arrange  the 
hides  or  covers  for  her.  Say  harboured  a  wish  to  consult 
her  about  her  disease ;  but  Shotaye  studiously  avoided  any 
Opportunity  for  confidential  talk.  One  day,  however,  when 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  43 

the  two  were  alone  in  the  kitchen,  and  the  invalid  felt  some 
what  relieved,  she  opened  her  heart  to  her  visitor.  Shotaye 
listened  very  attentively,  and  when  Say  had  concluded,  in 
stead  of  asking  for  further  details,  she  abruptly  asked 
whether  Say  had  no  suspicion  of  being  bewitched. 

If  such  a  question  were  put  to  us,  we  should  doubt  the 
sanity  of  the  questioner.  Not  so  the  Indian.  Say  felt  like 
one  from  whose  eyes  thick  scales  are  suddenly  removed. 
Indeed,  she  thought  this  was  the  cause  of  her  evil,  this 
alone  could  explain  the  tenacity  of  the  disease,  its  mysteri 
ous  intermittence.  She  told  her  interlocutor  that  she  must 
be  right,  or  else  why  these  regular  returns  and  always  during 
the  season  of  rain  ?  Shotaye  listened  and  listened ;  every 
word  she  heard  was  in  confirmation  of  her  own  thoughts. 
Say  must  be  under  the  influence  of  some  evil  charm,  and 
unless  counteracted  by  magic,  it  was  clear  to  her  that  the 
poor  woman  must  succumb  to  its  workings. 

Whatever  there  is  in  nature  which  the  Indian  cannot 
grasp  at  once,  he  attributes  to  mysterious  supernatural 
agencies.  He  believes  that  nature  is  pervaded  by  spiritual 
essence  individualized  into  an  infinite  number  of  distinct 
powers.  Everything  in  nature  has  a  soul  according  to  him, 
and  it  is  that  soul  which  causes  it  to  move  or  to  act  upon 
its  surroundings  in  general.  Thus  the  medical  properties 


of  animals,  of  plants,  or  minerals,  are  due  to  spiritual  mani 
festations.  His  medical  art  therefore  does  not  consist 
merely  in  eliminating  the  physical  cause  of  disease.  As 
soon  as  any  disease  is  stubborn  there  must  be  at  the  bottom 
of  it  some  spiritual  source,  and  this  source  can  be  discov 
ered  and  removed  only  by  magic. 

Incantations  therefore  form  an  important  part  of  Indian 
medicine.  The  formulas  therefor  are  the  special  property  of 
the  medicine-men,  whom  we  shall  hereafter  designate  with 
the  much  more  appropriate  name  of  Shamans.  The  shaman 


44  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

is  wizard  and  physician  at  the  same  time.  He  is  also  a 
prophet,  augur,  and  oracle.  His  duty  it  is  not  only  to  pro 
tect  from  evil,  but  to  counteract  it.  He  has  charms  and 
incantations  which  he  offers  for  the  production  of  beneficial 
natural  phenomena. 

Magic  for  such  purposes  is  regarded  by  the  Indian  as 
essential  to  the  existence  of  man.  Magic,  however,  as  a 
black  art  is  the  most  heinous  crime  which  he  can  conceive. 
The  difference  between  the  two  consists  mainly  in  their 
purpose ;  the  manipulations  are  substantially  the  same,  so  are 
the  objects.  To  know  those  details  is  one  of  the  attributes 
of  the  shamans. 

The  latter  constitute  a  circle  of  their  own,  —  a  cluster  of 
adepts,  nominally  in  the  arts  of  healing,  but  really  in  the 
arts  of  magic.  That  circle  is  wide,  and  whoever  stands 
outside  of  it  has  no  right  to  infringe  upon  the  duties  of  its 
members  by  attempting  to  follow  their  example.  It  is  an 
institution,  and  its  origin  dates  from  untold  centuries.  It  is 
subdivided  into  groups,  each  of  which  practises  charms,  in 
cantations,  or  magic,  relating  to  certain  human  interests.  The 
Shyayak  are  in  possession  of  the  spell  which  charms  game, 
in  other  words  they  are  the  shamans  of  the  hunt.  The 
Uakanyi  practise  magic  in  warfare,  they  are  the  shamans  of 
war.  The  Chayani  are  physicians  who  combine  with  the 
knowledge  of  medicine  proper,  the  knowledge  of  magic 
curative  powers.  They  are  the  shamans  of  medicine. 
Lastly  the  Yaya  combine  a  knowledge  of  all  these  different 
branches  in  their  essence.  They  are  the  prophets  and 
priests.  These  groups  may  be  described  as,  in  a  certain 
sense,  guilds.  But  they  are  secret  societies  also,  inasmuch 
as  the  arts  and  practices  of  each  are  special  property  which 
is  kept  secret  from  the  others,  and  from  the  uninitiated 
\  members  in  the  tribe.  In  order  to  become  a  member  of  a 
society  of  that  kind  secrecy  is  required  and  long  apprentice- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  45 

ship.  The  novice  rises  slowly  from  one  degree  of  knowl 
edge  to  another,  and  only  few  attain  the  higher  positions. 

THe  members  of  these  secret  societies  are  therefore 
magicians  or  wizards,  and  when  any  one  dreads  danger  from 
evil  sorcery  it  is  his  duty  to  consult  the  proper  shaman  for 
relief,  unless  he  should  be  sure  of  the  person  of  the  sorcerer, 
in  which  case  he  may  kill  him  outright  without  even  men 
tioning  the  deed.  In  the  present  instance  Say  could  not 
resort  to  such  a  summary  expedient.  It  was  therefore  the 
duty  of  Shotaye,  who  was  better  informed  on  institutions 
and  customs,  to  direct  her  sick  friend  to  a  shaman.  But 
Shotaye  was  not  on  good  terms  with  the  official  wizards, 
particularly  the  Chayani,  those  who  cured,  and  still  less  with 
the  highest  religious  powers,  the  Yaya.  It  suited  her  pride 
to  attempt  the  experiment  at  her  own  risk,  conscious  all  the 
while  that  it  was  dangerous,  — dangerous  for  herself,  as  well 
as  for  her  patient.  For  it  entailed  performances  which 
only  the  shaman  can  undertake,  and  should  they  be  de 
tected,  the  very  crime  of  sorcery,  against  which  their  experi 
ments  were  directed,  would  be  charged  against  them. 

Shotaye  had  still  another  reason  for  not  encouraging  her 
friend  to  speak  to  the  higher  chayani.  The  fever  coincided 
with  the  rainy  season.  As  soon  as  this  was  over  it  subsided. 
Natural  as  this  was,  both  women  attributed  it  to  a  mysteri 
ous  cause ;  and  Shotaye,  suspicious  and  vindictive  even, 
bought  she  had  discovered  a  clew  to  the  guilty  party. 

The  rainy  season  in  New  Mexico  is  of  course  essential  to 
the  growth  of  the  chief  staple  of  the  Indian,  —  maize  or 
Indian  corn.  When,  therefore,  in  July  daily  showers  should 
occur,  the  principal  shamans  of  each  tribe  and  the  yaya 
must  pray,  fast,  and  mortify  themselves,  in  order  that 
Those  Above  may  send  the  needed  rain.  The  hishtanyi 
chayan  scatters  the  powder  of  the  white  flower  to  the  winds 
meanwhile  murmuring  incantations.  At  night  he  imitate 


46  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

thunder,  by  whirling  a  flint  knife  attached  to  the  end  of  a 
long  string,  and  draws  brilliant  flashes  from  pebbles  which 
he  strikes  together  in  a  peculiar  manner.  For  the  Indian 
reasons  that  since  rain  is  preceded  in  summer  by  lightning 
and  thunder,  man  by  imitating  those  heralds  is  calling  the 
desired  precipitation,  —  beckoning  it  to  come. 

This  is  the  time  of  the  year  when  the  Koshare  perform 
their  chief  work.  Four  days  and  four  nights,  sometimes 
longer,  they  must  fast  and  pray  in  order  that  the  crops 
may  obtain  the  moisture  indispensable  for  ripening.  The 
people  look  upon  the  Delight  Makers  with  a  degree  of  re 
spect  akin  to  fear  at  all  times,  for  they  are  regarded  as 
powerful  intermediaries  in  matters  of  life  and  death  to  the 
tribe ;  but  during  that  particular  time  they  are  considered 
as  specially  precious  to  the  higher  powers.  Shotaye  hated 
the  Koshare.  They  in  turn  disliked  the  woman,  and  gave 
vent  to  their  dislike  by  turning  her  into  ridicule  at  public 
dances  as  often  as  possible.  This  she  resented  greatly; 
but  she  was  powerless  to  retaliate,  since  the  Delight  Makers 
enjoy  special  privileges  on  festive  days.  The  medicine 
woman's  hatred  was  still  increased  by  the  fact  that  her 
former  husband,  Tyope,  was  a  leading  Koshare.  To  his 
influence  she  attributed  the  insults  which  the  jesters  offered 
her,  and  she  saw  in  the  whole  group  but  a  crowd  of  willing 
tools  handled  by  her  personal  enemy. 

Since  Say's  illness  coincided  with  the  beginning  of  the 
rainy  season,  the  principal  activity  of  the  Koshare  immedi 
ately  preceded  the  outbreak  of  the  fever.  Urged  by  hate 
and  desire  for  revenge,  Shotaye  combined  the  two  facts  in 
her  mind,  and  drew  the  conclusion  that  the  disease  was 
due  to  the  magic  power  of  the  Koshare,  directed  against 
Say  for  some  unknown  reason  and  purpose. 

If  the  Koshare  were  guilty,  it  was  not  only  useless,  it 
was  dangerous  <*ven,  to  call  upon  any  chayan  for  relief. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  47 

The  Delight  Makers  were  the  chief  assistants  of  the  sha 
mans  in  any  public  ceremony,  and  indispensable  to  them 
in  many  ways.  Beside,  Say  Koitza  could  not  have  applied 
to  a  chayan  without  her  husband's  knowledge,  and  that 
husband  was  a  Koshare. 

So  after  explaining  to  the  invalid  her  suspicions  and  in 
ferences,  she  suggested  direct  inquiry  about  the  principals 
in  the  supposed  evil  actions  against  her.  That  inquiry 
could  be  conducted  only  through  sorcery  itself,  and  Say 
at  first  trembled.  She  feared,  and  not  without  good  cause, 
an  appeal  to  evil  powers.  Still  Shotaye  spoke  so  plausibly ; 
she  assured  so  strongly  her  friend  of  her  own  discretion  and 
fidelity,  and  was  so  insistant  upon  her  constant  success  in 
everything  she  had  undertaken  as  yet,  —  that  the  woman 
yielded  at  last  against  her  own  convictions.  Something 
within  her  seemed  to  speak  and  say,  "  Do  not  tread  for 
bidden  paths,  speak  to  your  husband  first."  But  the  argu 
ments  on  the  other  side  were  too  strong,  her  own  physical 
condition  too  weak ;  she  grasped  the  expected  relief  re 
gardless  of  the  warnings  of  her  conscience. 

Among  the  objects  connected  with  evil  magic,  t.  certain 
kind  of  maize  had  the  power  of  speech  attributed  to  it. 
It  is  the  dark-coloured  variety,  called  in  the  Queres  language 
ka  monyi  tza.  Ears  of  this  corn  belonging  to  a  witch  are 
said  to  speak  in  the  absence  of  their  owner,  and  to  tell  of 
her  whereabouts  and  doings.  Shotaye  knew  this,  and  her 
self  but  indifferently  versed  in  the  black  art,  concluded  that 
the  black  corn  would  also  reveal,  if  properly  handled,  the 
agent  whose  manipulations  caused  Say  Koitza's  sufferings. 
She  hoped  also  that  by  combining  the  dreaded  grain  with 
another  more  powerful  implement  of  sorcery,  owl's  plum 
age,  she  would  succeed  in  eliciting  from  the  former  all  the 
information  desired.  The  woman  was  quite  ignorant  of  the 
evil  ways  in  which  she  was  about  to  wander ;  but  she  was 


48  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

bold  and  daring,  and  the  hope  of  injuring  her  enemies 
was  a  greater  inducement  than  the  desire  to  relieve  her 
friend.  The  proposed  manipulation  was  directed  in  fact 
much  more  against  her  former  husband  than  against  the 
disease. 

But  how  to  obtain  the  necessary  objects  !  How  to  secure 
black  corn,  and  how  and  where  to  get  the  feathers  of  an 
owl !  Both  were  so  well  known  and  so  generally  tabooed 
that  inquiry  after  them  would  forthwith  arouse  suspicion. 
Black  maize  might  be  procured  on  the  sly ;  but  the  other 
could  be  found  by  chance  only,  —  by  meeting  with  the  body 
of  a  dead  owl  on  the  heights  surrounding  the  Tyuonyi 

Shotaye  was  in  the  habit  of  strolling  alone  all  around  the 
Rito,  over  the  timbered  mesa  as  well  as  through  the  gorges 
which  descend  from  the  mountains.  On  such  excursions 
the  woman  observed  the  most  minute  precautions,  for  there 
was  danger,  —  danger  from  roaming  Indians  of  the  Navajo 
or  Dinne  tribe,  and  danger  from  spies  of  her  own  tribe. 
Frequently  people  had  followed  stealthily  in  the  hope  of 
surprising  her  at  some  illicit  practice,  but  she  had  been 
lucky  enough  to  notice  them  in  time.  Of  what  is  called 
to-day  the  mesa  del  Rito,  the  high  table-land  bordering  the 
Tyuonyi  on  the  south,  Shotaye  knew  every  inch  of  ground, 
every  tree  and  shrub. 

On  a  clear,  cool  November  day  she  strolled  again  in  that 
direction,  climbing  the  heights  and  penetrating  into  the 
scrubby  timber,  interspersed  with  tall  pines,  which  covers 
the  plateau  for  miles.  To  her  delight  she  discovered  the 
remains  of  an  owl  at  no  great  distance  from  the  declivity 
of  the  Rito  beneath  a  rotten  pine.  Instead  of  picking  up 
the  carcass  she  kicked  it  aside  disdainfully,  but  took  good 
care  to  notice  whither  so  as  to  remember  the  place.  It 
landed  on  a  juniper-bush  and  remained  suspended  from  its 
branches.  Shotaye  went  onward  carelessly.  She  looked 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  49 

for  herbs  and  plants,  picking  up  a  handful  here,  pulling  out 
a  root  there,  until  she  had  made  a  long  circuit,  which  how 
ever  brought  her  back  to  the  place  where  the  dead  owl 
was.  Here  she  stopped,  listening,  all  the  while  looking 
out  for  plants.  As  if  by  accident  she  neared  the  bush  on 
which  the  carcass  was  still  hanging,  and  after  assuring  her 
self  that  the  body  had  not  been  disturbed,  she  brushed 
past  so  as  to  cause  it  to  drop  to  the  ground.  She  hastily 
plucked  a  few  feathers,  put  them  with  the  herbs  and  roots 
already  gathered,  and  turned  homeward.  Everything  was 
quiet  and  still  around  her,  only  at  a  short  distance  two 
crows  flew  up  croaking. 

Say  Koitza  was  not  strong  enough  to  walk  up  to  the 
cliffs ;  therefore  Shotaye,  when  she  came  to  announce  to 
her  friend  that  the  necessary  material  was  at  last  secured, 
suggested  that  the  incantation  be  performed  at  the  home 
of  the  invalid.  A  certain  evening  when  Zashue  was  sure 
to  be  absent,  owing  to  a  gathering  of  the  Koshare,  was 
appointed  for  the  purpose.  On  that  evening  the  two 
women  sat  alone  in  the  kitchen.  Okoya  was  away  in  the 
estufa  of  Tanyi  hanutsh.  The  two  younger  children  were 
fast  asleep  in  the  outer  room.  It  was  a  cold  night,  but 
the  fire  on  the  hearth  had  almost  completely  subsided, 
only  a  few  embers  remaining.  Through  the  loophole  in 
the  wall  an  occasional  draught  of  chilly  air  entered.  Say 
Koitza  clung  to  her  friend's  shoulder,  shivering  and  tremb 
ling  from  fear  as  well  as  from  cold. 

In  the  centre  of  the  dark  room  Shotaye  had  placed  a 
few  ears  of  black  corn,  and  on  them  two  bundles  of  owl's 
feathers,  each  tied  to  a  chip  of  obsidian.  She  had  also 
brought  along  some  bark  of  the  red  willow ;  this  she  pul 
verized  in  the  hand,  and  made  into  two  cigarettes  with 
corn  husks.  At  that  time  tobacco  was  unknown  to  the 
Pueblos,  and  red  willow- bark  was  the  only  thing  used  for 

4 


50  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

smoking,  while  smoking  itself  was  not  a  relish  but  exclu 
sively  a  sacrifice. 

Handing  one  of  the  cigarettes  to  her  friend,  Shotaye 
directed  her  to  light  it  and  then  puff  the  smoke  suc 
cessively  to  the  six  mythical  regions.  After  this  she 
was  to  cast  the  glowing  stub  on  the  pile  of  corn  and 
feathers.  With  a  shudder  Say  Koitza  obeyed  these  in 
structions  ;  her  teeth  chattered  while  the  cave-woman  re 
cited  an  invocation.  Then  both  huddled  together  to  list 
en.  Even  Shotaye  felt  afraid  of  the  consequences.  For 
a  long  time  everything  was  silent;  the  cold  draught  from 
the  outside  had  stopped ;  the  women  sat  in  breathless 
silence ;  they  listened  and  listened.  Nothing  moved. 
Not  a  sound  was  heard. 

Shotaye  overcame  her  first  anxiety  and  repeated  the 
dread  formula.  All  was  silent.  Suddenly  a  cold  blast 
pervaded  the  room  again.  It  fanned  the  embers  to  re 
newed  life ;  they  shed  a  faint  glimmer  over  the  cham 
ber.  The  women  started ;  there  was  a  crackling  heard ; 
the  feathers  moved ;  the  ears  of  corn  seemed  to  change 
position.  One  of  the  feather  bunches  rolled  on  the  floor. 
They  nearly  screamed  in  terror,  for  their  excited  imagina 
tion  caused  them  to  hear  ghostly  sounds,  —  disconnected, 
uncomprehended  words.  It  was  clear  that  the  black 
corn  had  spoken.  What  it  said  neither  could  tell ;  but 
the  fact  of  having  heard  the  noise  was  sufficient  to  con 
vince  them  that  Say  was  under  the  influence  of  an  evil 
charm,  and  Shotaye  took  care  to  add  that  that  charm 
was  exercised  by  the  Koshare  or  by  some  one  belonging 
to  their  society. 

So  powerful  was  the  effect  of  this  incantation  scene 
upon  Say  that  she  fainted.  After  a  while  she  recovered 
and  Shotaye  led  her  back  to  the  outer  room,  where,  aftei 
some  time,  she  began  to  slumber  from  sheer  exhaustioa 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  5 1 

Then  the  medicine-woman  returned  to  the  caves,  taking 
with  her  every  vestige  of  the  conjuration. 

It  was  wise  on  her  part,  for  as  soon  as  Say  awoke  from 
feverish  and  anxious  dreams,  her  first  thought  was  about 
the  dismal  objects.  Everything  was  quiet.  Zashue  had 
returned,  and  was  quietly  asleep  by  her  side.  She  arose 
and  glided  into  the  kitchen,  noiselessly,  stealthily.  The 
floor  was  clean.  She  felt  around ;  not  a  trace  of  the  ob 
jectionable  pile  could  be  noticed.  Unspeakable  was  the 
feeling  of  relief  with  which  she  returned  to  her  husband's 
side  and  extended  herself  on  the  hides  again;  sound 
sleep  came  to  her,  and  when  she  awoke  it  was  daylight. 
She  felt  stronger,  brighter.  Yet  thereafter,  as  often  as 
Zashue  approached  her  in  his  harmless,  bantering  man 
ner,  she  experienced  a  strange,  sudden  pang.  She  was 
reminded  of  having  done  wrong  in  not  having  been  open 
with  him.  The  Indian's  conscience  is  hemmed  in  by 
bonds  arising  from  his  social  and  religious  organization; 
why,  for  instance,  should  she  have  told  her  spouse?  He 
was  neither  of  her  clan  nor  of  her  party.  He  belonged 
to  the  summer  people,  she  to  those  of  winter.  She 
stood  outside  of  all  secret  associations,  whereas  he  was 
a  Koshare. 

The  winter  following  proved  to  be  mild  and  dry.  Say 
recovered  slowly.  Shotaye  kept  aloof  after  the  conjura 
tion,  for  a  long  time  at  least.  All  of  a  sudden  she  made 
her  appearance  at  the  home  of  her  convalescent  friend. 
It  was  in  order  to  remind  her  that  the  first  step  was  only 
a  preliminary,  and  that  it  could  not  effect  a  radical  cure. 
All  that  had  been  achieved  was  to  prove  that  an  evil 
charm  existed,  and  that  the  Koshare  were  the  wrong 
doers.  It  remained  now  to  remove  the  spell  by  breaking 
the  charm.  This,  she  represented,  had  to  be  attempted 
when  the  Koshare  were  in  their  greatest  power,  and  could 


52  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

only  be  effected  by  means  of  the  owl's  feathers.  By  bury 
ing  these  feathers  near  the  place  where  the  Delight  Mak 
ers  used  to  assemble,  Shotaye  asserted  that  not  only  would 
the  disease  be  eliminated  forever,  but  the  guilty  one  be 
punished  according  to  the  measure  of  his  crime. 

Say  would  not  listen  to  any  such  proposals.  She  saw 
no  necessity  for  going  any  further  in  forbidden  tracks. 
Now  that  her  health  was  restored,  why  should  she  attempt 
to  harm  a  cluster  of  men  to  which  her  husband  belonged, 
and  thus  perhaps  imperil  his  life?  Shotaye  met  this  ob 
jection  with  the  assurance  that  the  remedy  was  directed 
against  the  guilty  ones  only,  and  that  she  herself  did  not 
for  a  moment  think  that  Zashue  had  participated  in  the 
evil  manipulations  against  his  wife ;  that  consequently  he 
was  in  no  manner  exposed  to  danger.  Say  finally  told 
her  visitor  that  she  would  wait  and  see,  and  then  decide. 

Winter  went  and  spring  came.  Warm  summer  followed 
with  a  dark-blue  sky  and  sporadic  thunderclouds.  All  the 
crops  were  planted,  irrigated,  and  scantily  weeded.  Now 
they  awaited  the  rains  in  order  to  complete  growth  and  pre 
pare  for  maturity.  The  great  chayani  had  gone  through 
their  official  fasts,  they  had  made  their  sacrificial  offerings 
in  the  sacred  bowls  dedicated  to  rain-medicine.  Every 
day  clouds  loomed  up  in  the  west,  distant  thunder  rumbled, 
but  not  a  drop  of  rain  fell  in  the  Rito  and  the  people  began 
to  look  gloomy.  The  Koshare  were  therefore  required  to 
go  to  work  earlier  than  usual.  They  were  to  fast  four  con 
secutive  days  between  two  full  moons. 

The  estufa  in  which  the  Delight  Makers  used  to  assemble 
is  situated  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  cliffs,  and  its  access  is 
difficult  to-day.  It  is  a  circular  chamber  in  the  rock  twenty 
feet  in  diameter.  At  present  the  outer  wall  has  fallen  in, 
but  a  crease  in  the  floor  indicates  the  place  where  a  little 
port-hole  led  into  the  cave.  The  cave  lies  high,  so  thai 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  53 

from  it  a  view  of  the  whole  valley  presents  itself,  and  at  its 
feet  opens  a  narrow  chasm  of  considerable  depth.  This  is 
a  mere  fissure,  so  narrow  that  cross-beams  were  fastened 
into  its  sides  like  the  rounds  of  a  step-ladder ;  and  on  these 
the  people  ascended  to  a  narrow  trail  leading  up  to  the 
entrance.  Other  cave-dwellings  were  scattered  along  this 
trail  and  farther  below.  They  were  inhabited  by  the  people 
of  the  Turquoise  clan. 

All  the  Koshare  had  retired  to  this  secluded  spot,  and 
the  first  day  of  fasting  was  nearly  over  when  Shotaye  called 
once  more  at  the  home  of  Say.  The  latter  guessed  the 
object  of  her  coming  and  felt  afraid.  Without  preamble, 
in  a  sober,  matter-of-fact  way,  the  cave-woman  stated  that 
the  time  had  come  for  a  decisive  step ;  and  with  this  she 
placed  three  bunches  of  owl's  feathers  on  the  floor.  In 
vain  Say  Koitza  protested,  affirming  that  her  health  was 
fully  restored.  Shotaye  would  not  listen  to  refusal  or  ex 
cuse.  Now  or  never,  she  commanded.  She  repeated  her 
former  assertion  that  the  charm  could  not  hurt  Zashue  as 
long  as  he  was  not  guilty.  For  a  long  while  the  women  sat 
arguing  the  matter;  at  last  Say  Koitza  yielded,  and  prom 
ised  to  comply. 

Night  came,  and  the  people  of  the  Rito  went  to  rest. 
The  moon  rose  behind  the  lava- ridge  of  the  Tetilla ;  the 
rocky  battlements  of  the  cliffs  shone  brightly  above  the 
gorge,  whose  depths  rested  in  dark  shadow.  A  tiny  figure 
crept  out  of  the  big  building  and  hurried  down  the  vale 
along  the  fields.  When  she  reached  the  grove  where  we 
met  Okoya  and  his  little  brother  for  the  first  time,  she 
crouched  beneath  a  tree,  covered  her  head,  and  sobbed 
aloud.  It  was  a  dire  task  for  Say  Koitza,  this  errand  out  of 
which  harm  might  arise  to  the  whole  cluster  to  which  her 
husband  belonged.  If  the  charm  which  she  clutched  with 
trembling  fingers  should  work  against  him,  then  he  was  the 


54  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

guilty  party.  So  Shotaye  had  insinuated,  and  the  word  had 
stung  her  like  the  bite  of  a  serpent.  It  came  back  to  her 
mind  as  she  hurried  to  perform  the  deed,  and  caused  her 
to  start.  She  rose  hastily  and  turned  toward  the  cliffs. 

The  uppermost  rocks  glistened  fairly  in  the  light  of  the 
moon  ;  and  where  the  sharp  line  of  the  shadows  commenced, 
the  ruddy  glow  of  a  fire  burst  from  an  oblong  aperture. 
There  was  the  estufa  of  the  Koshare.  From  it  issued  the 
sound  of  hollow  drumming  intermingled  with  the  cadence 
of  a  chorus  of  hoarse  voices.  A  thrill  went  through  Say, 
she  stopped  again  and  listened.  Was  not  her  husband's 
voice  among  them?  Certainly  he  was  there,  doing  his  duty 
with  the  rest.  And  if  he  was  as  guilty  toward  her  as  the 
others?  That  monstrous  thought  rose  again,  it  pushed  her 
onward.  She  crawled  ahead  slowly,  scarcely  conscious  of 
the  danger  attending  her  mission.  Large  blocks  of  debris, 
tent-shaped  erosive  hillocks,  impeded  her  progress;  they 
crowded  along  the  foot  of  the  cliffs  like  protecting  bulwarks, 
and  the  trail  wound  around  them  on  a  higher  plane.  But 
this  trail  she  dared  not  follow,  there  was  not  enough  dark 
ness  on  it.  She  crept  along  the  base,  the  sense  of  danger 
coming  to  her  with  the  increasing  obscurity,  until  suddenly 
she  stood  before  a  cleft  of  almost  inky  hue.  Here  she  re 
membered  was  the  ascent  to  the  estufa,  here  she  had  to 
perform  the  work,  and  here  overpowered  by  emotion  and 
excitement  she  dropped  behind  an  angular  block  of  stone 
unconscious. 

When  she  recovered,  the  chorus  sounded  directly  above 
her,  and  the  chant  seemed  to  soar  away  like  voices  from  an 
upper  world.  She  glanced  up  the  dark  fissure  as  through 
a  flume.  The  cross-beams  were  faintly  visible.  Over  the 
cleft  rested  a  moonlit  sky,  but  to  the  rocks  clung  the  figure 
of  a  man.  That  man  stood  there  a  moment  only,  then 
shouting  a  few  words  as  if  calling  to  somebody  within, 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  5$ 

he  disappeared.  The  song  was  hushed.  Say  recognized  the 
speaker ;  it  was  Tyope,  Shotaye's  former  husband,  and  the 
one  whom  the  woman  suspected  of  having  done  her  harm. 
Resolutely  she  went  at  her  task. 

Taking  a  bundle  of  owl's  feathers  from  her  wrap,  she 
presented  it  successively  to  the  six  regions,  and  then  buried 
it  carefully  in  the  sand,  below  where  the  first  cross-beam 
traversed  the  fissure.  Again  she  listened  and  spied,  and 
creeping  forward  concealed  the  second  bunch  in  another 
place  near  by.  Then  she  whispered  the  sinister  prayer 
which  was  to  give  to  the  feathers  the  power  to  do  harm. 
At  the  close  the  drum  rumbled  again  within  the  cliffs  above 
her,  and  the  chant  rose  strong  and  rude.  Covering  her 
head,  shaking  and  shivering  with  sudden  fear,  Say  Koitza 
rushed  from  the  spot.  Ere  day  broke  she  had  reached 
home  again,  and  extended  her  weary  frame  by  the  side  of 
her  sleeping  children. 

Say  slept  for  the  remainder  of  the  night  a  long  sleep  of 
exhaustion.  The  next  morning  her  first  task  was  to  bury 
the  last  bunch  of  owl's  feathers  in  the  kitchen,  close  to  the 
fireplace,  where  it  was  to  protect  her  from  the  inroads  of 
enemies.  She  felt  weak  but  rather  comfortable.  Her  only 
anxiety  was  now  the  return  of  her  husband. 

Zashue  came  home  at  last,  good-humoured  as  ever,  but 
with  a  lively  appetite  akin  to  hunger.  His  wife  received 
him  in  a  subdued  manner  bordering  on  obsequiousness; 
she  was  more  than  ever  bent  on  anticipating  any  desire  on 
his  part.  All  the  while  afraid  of  detection,  every  kind  word 
spoken  to  her  caused  remorse,  every  joke  pained  her  in 
secret.  It  recalled  what  she  had  done  to  his  companions, 
perhaps  to  him  also. 

The  incantations  of  the  chayani  and  the  fasts  of  the 
Koshare  seemed  to  have  no  effect  whatever  upon  the  course 
of  the  rain-clouds.  The  heavens  clouded  regularly  every 


$6  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

day ;  they  shed  their  moisture  all  around  the  Tyuonyi,  but 
not  a  drop  fell  in  the  valley-gorge.  Now  the  three  chief 
penitents  of  the  tribe,  the  Hotshanyi,  the  shaykatze,  and  the 
uishtyaka,  were  called  upon  to  use  their  means  of  interces 
sion  with  Those  Above.  They  fasted,  prayed,  and  made  sac 
rifices  alternately  for  an  entire  moon ;  still  it  rained  not.  In 
New  Mexico  local  droughts  are  sometimes  very  pertinacious. 
Plants  withered,  the  corn  and  beans  suffered,  languished, 
and  died.  The  tribe  looked  forward  to  a  winter  without 
vegetable  food.  But  Say  Koitza  was  secretly  glad,  foi 
drought  killed  her  disease.  She  felt  stronger  every  day,  and 
worked  zealously,  anxious  to  please  her  husband  and  to 
remove  every  suspicion.  Shotaye  called  on  her  frequently ; 
she,  too,  felt  proud  of  the  success  of  her  cure,  sure  of  the 
revenge  she  had  taken  upon  her  enemies. 

When  a  few  rains  swept  at  last  down  upon  the  vale,  it  was 
too  late  for  the  crops.  Only  the  few  stores  kept  in  reserve 
and  the  proceeds  of  the  hunt  could  save  the  tribe  from 
a  famine.  Women  and  children  put  on  red  wristbands  to 
comfort  their  hearts  in  the  prospective  distress,  for  a  win 
ter  without  vegetable  supplies  was  until  then  an  unknown 
disaster.  Say  Koitza  also  placed  strips  of  red  buckskin 
around  her  arms.  Ostensibly  she  mourned  for  her  tribe  ; 
in  reality  it  was  to  relieve  her  heart  from  the  reproaches  oi 
her  own  conscience. 

But  when  winter  set  in  and  the  fever  had  not  put  in  its 
appearance,  her  mind  gradually  changed.  She  lost  all  fear 
of  discovery,  and  finally  felt  proud  of  what  she  had  done. 
Had  she  not  preserved  herself  for  her  own  husband,  for 
her  children?  Instead  of  performing  a  crime,  it  was  a 
meritorious  act.  Shotaye  encouraged  her  in  such  thoughts. 
To  her  it  was  less  the  recovery  of  her  friend  than  the  blow 
dealt  the  Koshare,  particularly  her  former  husband,  that 
•uccited  her  satisfaction  and  tickled  her  pride. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  $7 

Say  thus  felt  happy  and  at  rest,  but  that  fatal  interview 
with  her  father  suddenly  dispelled  all  her  fond  dreams. 
The  old  man's  revelations  annihilated  everything  at  one 
fell  blow.  No  hope  was  left ;  her  life  was  gone,  her  doom 
sealed.  As  if  lightning  had  struck  her  she  lay  down  by 
the  hearth,  motionless,  for  a  long  while.  She  heard  noth 
ing  ;  she  stared  vacantly ;  her  thoughts  came  and  went 
like  nebulous  phantoms.  At  last  somebody  entered  the 
outer  room,  but  the  woman  noticed  him  not.  Three 
times  the  new-comer  called  her  name ;  she  gave  no  reply. 
At  the  fourth  call,  "  Koitza  ! "  she  started  at  last,  and  faintly 
answered,  — 

"  Opona." 

Zashue,  her  husband,  entered  the  kitchen  and  good' 
naturedly  inquired,  — 

"Are  you  ill?" 

She  raised  herself  hastily  and  replied,  — 

"  No ;  but  I  was  asleep." 

"The  sun  is  resting  on  the  western  mountains,"  said 
Zashue ;  "  give  me  something  to  eat,  I  am  tired." 

She  stirred  the  fire,  and  when  dry  brush  flamed  ovei 
the  hearth  she  placed  the  stew-pot  on  it.  The  remain 
der  of  the  cornmeal  she  stirred  with  water,  and  began 
to  mix  cakes  in  the  usual  way.  Her  husband  watched 
her  pleasantly. 

Zashue  was  indeed  a  good-looking  Indian.  Lithe  and 
of  a  fair  height,  with  black  hair  and  large  bright  eyes,  he 
appeared  the  picture  of  vigour  and  mirth.  He  chatted 
with  the  utmost  nonchalance,  telling  his  wife  about  the 
insignificant  happenings  of  the  day,  the  prospects  of  the 
crops,  what  such  and  such  a  one  had  said  to  him,  and 
what  he  had  told  the  other  in  return.  It  was  innocent 
gossip,  intimate  chat,  such  as  a  contented  husband  may 
tell  a  wife  in  whom  he  places  entire  confidence.  How 


$8  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

happy  she  felt  at  the  harmless  chatter,  and  yet  how  in 
tensely  miserable.  His  inquiry,  "Are  you  ill?"  rang  in 
her  ears  with  a  sickening  clang,  like  some  overwhelming 
reproach.  Why,  oh  why,  had  she  not  spoken  to  him  in 
time?  He  was  so  good  to  her.  Now  it  was  too  late; 
and  beside,  why  anticipate  the  fatal  hour  when  he  must 
know  all  ?  Why  not  improve  the  few  moments  of  respite 
granted  ere  death  came? 

Say  Koitza  suffered  him  to  continue,  and  listened  with 
increasing  interest  to  the  talk  of  her  husband.  It  might 
be  the  last  time.  Little  by  little,  as  he  went  on,  with 
harmless,  sometimes  very  clumsy,  jokes  and  jests,  she  be 
came  oblivious  of  her  wretched  prospects,  and  her  soul 
rested  in  the  present.  She  began  to  smile  shyly  at  first, 
then  she  even  laughed.  As  Zashue  ate  he  praised  her 
cooking;  and  that  gratified  her,  although  it  filled  her 
with  remorse  and  anguish.  The  children  came  also  and 
squatted  around  the  hearth,  Okoya  alone  keeping  at  a 
distance  and  eyeing  his  mother  suspiciously.  Could  she 
in  his  presence  really  feel  as  merry  as  she  acted?  Was 
it  not  evidence  of  the  basest  deception  on  her  part  ?  So 
the  boy  reasoned  from  his  own  standpoint,  and  went  out 
into  the  court-yard  in  disgust. 

The  sun  set,  and  a  calm,  still  night  sank  down  on  the  Rito 
de  los  Frijoles.  As  the  sky  darkened,  evidences  of  life  and 
mirth  began  to  show  themselves  at  the  bottom  of  the  gorge 
as  well  as  along  the  cliffs.  Monotonous  singing  sounded 
from  the  roofs  of  the  big  house,  from  caves,  and  from 
slopes  leading  up  to  them.  Noisy  talking,  clear,  ringing 
laughter,  rose  into  the  night.  Old  as  well  as  young  seemed 
to  enjoy  the  balmy  evening.  Few  remained  indoors. 
Among  these  were  Zashue  and  his  wife.  The  woman 
leaned  against  him,  and  often  looked  up  to  his  face  with  a 
imile.  She  felt  happy  by  the  side  of  her  husband,  and 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  59 

however  harrowing  the  thought  of  her  future  seemed  to  be, 
the  present  was  blissful  to  her. 

After  a  while  Zashue  rose,  and  his  spouse  followed  him 
anxiously  to  the  door,  trembling  lest  he  should  leave  her 
alone  for  the  night.  She  grasped  his  hand,  and  he  stood 
for  a  while  in  the  outer  doorway  gazing  at  the  sky.  Every 
sound  was  hushed  except  the  rushing  of  the  brook.  The 
canopy  of  heaven  sparkled  in  wonderful  splendour.  Its  stars 
blazed,  shedding  peace  upon  earth  and  good-will  to  man 
The  woman's  hand  quivered  in  that  of  her  spouse.  He 
turned  and  retired  with  her  to  the  interior  of  the  dwelling. 


CHAPTER  III. 

WE  must  now  return  to  the  fields  of  the  Rito,  and  to  the 
spot  where,  in  the  first  chapter  of  our  story,  Okoya  had 
been  hailed  by  a  man  whom  he  afterward  designated  as 
Tyope  Tihua.  That  individual  was,  as  we  have  since  found, 
the  former  husband  of  Shotaye,  Say's  ill-chosen  friend. 
After  the  boys  had  left,  Tyope  had  continued  to  weed  his 
corn,  not  with  any  pretence  of  activity  or  haste,  but  in  the 
slow,  persistent  way  peculiar  to  the  sedentary  Indian,  which 
makes  of  him  a  steady  though  not  a  very  profitable  worker. 
Tyope's  only  implement  was  a  piece  of  basalt  resembling  a 
knife,  and  he  weeded  on  without  interruption  until  the 
shadows  of  the  plants  extended  from  row  to  row.  Theu  he 
straightened  himself  and  scanned  quietly  the  whole  valley 
as  far  as  visible,  like  one  who  is  tired  and  is  taking  a  last 
survey  of  the  scene  of  his  daily  toil. 

The  fields  were  deserted.  Everybody  had  left  them 
except  himself.  Tyope  pushed  aside  the  stone  implement 
and  turned  to  go.  After  leaving  the  corn  he  turned  to  the 
right,  and  gradually  stooping  went  toward  a  grove  of  low 
pines.  Into  that  grove  he  penetrated  slowly,  cautiously, 
avoiding  the  least  noise.  It  was  clearly  his  intention  to 
conceal  himself.  Once  inside  of  the  thicket  of  pine  boughs 
he  cowered,  and  after  listening  again  and  satisfying  him 
self  that  nobody  was  around,  he  plunged  his  right  arm 
beneath  the  branches  that  drooped  down  to  the  surface. 
When  he  withdrew  it  his  hand  grasped  a  bow.  He  placed 
tflis  bow  near  his  feet  and  dived  a  second  time  under  the 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  6l 

branches,  pulling  out  another  object,  which  proved  to  be  a 
quiver  made  of  panther-skin  filled  with  arrows.  He  exam 
ined  each  of  these  arrows  carefully,  trying  their  heads  of 
flint  and  obsidian,  and  replaced  them  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  feathered  ends  projected  from  the  quiver.  A  thim 
time  he  ransacked  the  hiding-place,  and  produced  from 
beneath  the  boughs  a  short  wooden  war-club.  His  last 
essay  brought  to  light  a  cap  of  buffalo-hide  thick  enough  to 
repel  an  arrow  fired  at  short  range,  and  so  fashioned  as  to 
protect  the  forehead  to  the  eyebrows,  while  behind,  it  de 
scended  low  upon  the  neck.  This  cap,  or  helmet,  he  forth 
with  placed  upon  his  head.  Then  he  slung  the  quiver 
across  his  shoulders,  wound  the  thong  of  the  club  around 
his  right  wrist,  grasped  the  bow  with  the  left  hand,  and  rose 
to  his  feet. 

Daylight  was  gone.  Only  a  flat  golden  segment  blazed 
above  the  western  peaks.  The  peaks  themselves,  with  the 
mountains,  formed  a  huge  mass  of  dark  purple.  Over  the 
valley  night  hovered  already,  but  a  streak  of  mist  trailing 
here  and  there  like  a  thin  veil  marked  the  course  of  the 
little  brook.  It  was  so  dark  that  Tyope  could  move  with 
out  any  fear  of  being  seen.  He  nevertheless  maintained  a 
stooping  position  as  long  as  he  was  on  open  ground.  Once 
in  the  corn  he  followed  its  rows  instead  of  traversing  them, 
as  if  afraid  of  injuring  the  plants.  He  also  examined  care 
fully  the  edge  of  the  brook  before  crossing  it  to  the  south 
side.  Once  on  the  declivity  leading  up  to  the  mesa,  he 
climbed  nimbly  and  with  greater  unconcern,  for  there  the 
shadow  was  so  dense  that  nobody  could  notice  him  from 
below. 

From  the  brink  of  the  table-land  Tyope  looked  back  upon 
the  Rito.  He  stopped  not  so  much  in  order  to  see,  for  it 
was  too  dark,  but  in  order  to  listen.  Everything  was  quiet. 
A  bear  snarled  far  away,  but  this  did  not  concern  the 


62  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

listener.  He  strolled  on  through  the  scrubby  timber  of  the 
mesa  until  he  arrived  at  a  place  where  tall  pines  towered  up 
into  the  starry  sky,  when  he  stopped  again  and  remained  for 
quite  a  while  looking  up  at  the  heavens.  The  great  bear  — • 
the  seven  stars,  as  the  Pueblos  term  it  —  sparkled  near  the 
northern  horizon,  and  Tyope  seemed  to  watch  that  constel 
lation  with  unusual  interest.  Now  a  hoarse  dismal  yelping 
struck  his  ear,  the  barking  of  the  coyote,  or  prairie  wolf. 
Twice,  three  times,  the  howl  was  repeated  in  the  distance ; 
then  Tyope  replied  to  it,  imitating  its  cry.  All  was  still 
again. 

Suddenly  the  barking  sounded  much  nearer,  and  Tyope 
moved  toward  the  place  whence  the  sound  issued,  brushing 
past  the  shrubs.  Reaching  a  clear  space,  he  saw  before 
him  the  form  of  a  big  wolf.  The  animal  was  standing  im 
movable,  his  tail  drooping,  his  head  horizontal. 

"Are  you  alone?"  Tyope  whispered.  The  apparition 
or  beast,  whatever  it  might  be,  seemed  not  to  excite  the 
least  apprehension.  The  wolf  bent  its  head  in  reply  with' 
out  uttering  a  sound. 

"  Where  are  the  Dinne  ?  "  Tyope  continued. 

A  hollow  chuckle  seemed  to  proceed  from  the  skull  of 
the  animal ;  it  turned  and  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  but 
a  rustling  of  boughs  and  creaking  of  branches  made  known 
the  direction.  Tyope  followed. 

The  wolf  moved  swiftly.  From  time  to  time  its  husky 
barkings  were  heard ;  and  the  Indian  from  the  Rito,  guided 
by  these  signals,  followed  as  rapidly  as  possible.  At  last  he 
saw  the  outlines  of  a  juniper- bush  against  a  faint  glow. 
Behind  it  sounded  the  crackling  of  freshly  ignited  brush 
wood,  and  soon  a  light  spread  over  the  surrounding  neigh 
bourhood.  Stepping  into  the  illuminated  circle  Tyop« 
stood  before  a  man  squatting  by  the  fire. 

The  man  was  heaping  wood  on  the  fire  which  he  had 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  63 

just  started.  By  his  side  lay  the  skin  of  a  large  wolf.  He 
seemed  not  to  notice  Tyope,  although  his  face  was  directed 
toward  him,  for  his  eyes  disappeared  below  projecting  brows, 
so  projecting  that  only  now  and  then  a  sudden  flash,  quick 
as  lightning,  broke  out  from  beneath  their  shadow.  His 
form  indicated  strength  and  endurance ;  he  was  of  stronger 
build  than  the  man  from  the  Tyuonyi.  A  kilt  of  deer-hide 
was  his  only  -dress.  His  hair  was  wound  around  his  skull 
like  a  turban.  As  ornaments  the  stranger  wore  a  necklace 
of  panther  claws.  A  bow  and  some  arrows  were  lying  on 
the  wolfs  skin  beside  him.1 

Without  a  word  Tyope  squatted  down  near  the  fire,  facing 
the  other  Indian.  It  had  turned  cold,  and  both  men  held 
their  hands  up  to  the  flame.  The  former  glanced  at  the 
latter  furtively  from  time  to  time,  but  neither  uttered  a 
word.  The  fire  was  beginning  to  decline ;  its  light  grew 
faint.  At  last  the  other  Indian  said, — 

"  When  will  the  Koshare  go  into  the  round  house  ?  " 

"  As  soon  as  the  moon  gives  light,"  Tyope  carelessly 
replied. 

"  How  many  are  there  of  you  ?  " 

"Why  do  you  want  to  know  this?"  inquired  the  man 
from  the  Rito,  in  a  husky  voice. 

His  companion  chuckled  again  and  said  nothing.  He 
had  put  an  imprudent  question.  He  turned  away  carelessly, 
placed  more  wood  on  the  fire,  and  poked  the  embers. 
Tyope  looked  up  at  the  sky,  and  thus  the  vivid,  scornful 
glance  the  other  threw  on  his  figure  escaped  him. 

So  far  the  conversation  had  been  carried  on  in  the 
Queres  language ;  now  the  stranger  suddenly  spoke  in  an 
other  dialect  and  in  a  more  imperious  tone. 

1  This  custom  of  taking  the  disguise  of  a  wolf  is  or  has  been  used 
by  the  Navajos  frequently  in  order  to  surprise  herds  of  cattle  and 
horses 


64  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS 

"  Art  thou  afraid  of  the  Dinne  ?  " 

"Why  should  I  be  afraid  of  them?  "  responded  Tyope  in 
his  native  tongue. 

"  Speak  the  tongue  of  the  Dinne,"  the  other  sternly 
commanded,  and  a  flash  burst  from  beneath  his  eyebrows, 
almost  as  savage  as  that  of  a  wolf.  "  Thou  hast  courted 
the  people  of  my  tribe.  They  have  not  sought  after  thee. 
Thou  knowest  their  language.  Speak  it,  therefore,  and 
then  we  shall  see."  He  straightened  himself,  displaying  a 
vouthful  figure  full  of  strength  and  elasticity. 

Tyope  took  this  change  of  manner  very  composedly. 
tie  answered  quietly  in  the  same  dialect,  — 

"  If  thou  wilt,  Nacaytzusle,  I  can  speak  like  thy  people 
also.  It  is  true  I  came  for  them,  but  what  I  wanted"  —  he 
emphasized  the  word  —  "  was  as  much  for  their  benefit  as  my 
own.  Thou,  first  of  all,  wast  to  gain  by  my  scheme."  His 
eyes  closed,  and  the  glance  became  as  sharp  as  that  of  a 
rattlesnake. 

Nacaytzusle  poked  the  embers  with  a  dry  stick  as  if 
thinking  over  the  speech  of  the  other.  Then  he  asked,  — 

"  Thou  sayest  thou  hast  wanted.   Wantest  thou  no  more  ?  " 

"  Not  so  much  as  hitherto,"  Tyope  stated  positively. 

"What  shall  it  be  now?"  inquired  the  Dinne. 

"  I  will  speak  to  thee  so  as  to  be  understood,"  explained 
the  man  from  the  Rito,  "but  thou  shalt  tell  thy  people 
only  so  much  of  it  as  I  shall  allow  thee  to  say.  Thou  art 
Dinne,  it  is  true,  and  their  tongue  is  thy  language,  but 
many  a  time  hast  thou  seen  the  sun  set  and  rise  while  the 
houses  wherein  we  dwell  on  the  brook  were  thy  home. 
When  they  brought  thee  to  us  after  the  day  on  which 
Topanashka  slaughtered  thy  people  beyond  the  mountains, 
thou  didst  not  remain  with  us  long.  The  moon  has  not 
been  bright  often  since  thou  left  us  to  join  thy  people.  Is 
it  not  so,  Nacaytzusle?  Answer  me." 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  65 

The  Navajo  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  It  is  true,"  he  said,  "  but  I  have  nothing  in  common 
with  the  House  people." 

"  It  may  be  so  now,  but  if  thou  dost  not  care  for  the 
men,  the  women  are  not  without  interest  to  thee.  Is  it  not 
thus?" 

"The  tzane  on  the  brook,"  replied  the  Navajo,  disdain 
fully,  "  amount  to  nothing." 

"  In  that  case  "  —  Tyope  flared  up  and  grasped  his  club, 
speaking  in  the  Queres  language  and  with  a  vibrating  tone  — 
"  why  don't  you  look  for  a  companion  in  your  own  tribe  ? 
Mitsha  Koitza  does  not  care  for  a  husband  who  sneaks 
around  in  the  timber  like  a  wolf,  and  whose  only  feat  con 
sists  in  frightening  the  old  women  of  the  Tyuonyi ! " 

The  Navajo  stared  before  him  with  apparent  stolidity. 
Tyope  continued, — 

"  You  pretend  to  despise  us  now,  yet  enough  has  re 
mained  within  your  heart,  from  the  time  when  you  lived  at 
the  Tyuonyi  and  slept  in  the  estufa  of  Shyuamo  hanutsh,  to 
make  my  daughter  appear  in  your  eyes  better,  more  hand' 
some,  and  more  useful,  than  the  girls  of  the  Dinne  !  " 

The  features  of  the  Dinne  did  not  move ;  he  kept  silent 
But  his  right  hand  played  with  the  string  of  the  bow  that 
lay  on  the  wolfs  skin. 

"  Nacaytzusle,"  the  other  began  again,  "  I  promised  to 
assist  you  to  obtain  the  girl  against  her  will.  Mind  !  Mitsha, 
my  daughter,  will  never  go  to  a  home  of  the  Dinne  of  her 
own  accord,  but  I  would  have  stolen  her  for  your  sake.  Now 
I  say  to  you  that  I  have  promised  you  this  child  of  mine,  and 
I  have  promised  your  people  all  the  green  stones  of  my  tribe. 
The  first  promise  I  shall  fulfil  if  you  wish.  The  other,  you 
may  tell  your  tribe,  I  will  not  hold  to  longer." 

The  Navajo  looked  at  him  in  a  strange,  doubtful  way  and 
replied,  — 


66  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  You  have  asked  me  to  be  around  the  Tyuonyi  day  after 
day,  night  after  night,  to  watch  every  tree,  every  shrub, 
merely  in  order  to  find  out  what  your  former  wife,  Shotaye, 
\vas  doing,  and  to  kill  her  if  I  could.  You  have  demanded," 
he  continued,  raising  his  voice,  while  he  bent  forward  and 
darted  at  the  Indian  from  the  Rito  a  look  of  suppressed 
rage,  "  that  the  Dinne  should  come  down  upon  the  Tyuonyi 
at  the  time  when  the  Koshare  should  fast  and  pray,  and 
should  kill  Topanashka,  the  great  warrior,  so  that  you  might 
become  maseua  in  his  place  !  Now  I  tell  you  that  I  shall 
not  do  either  !  " 

The  eyes  of  the  young  savage  flamed  like  living  coals. 

"  Then  you  shall  not  have  my  child ! "  exclaimed 
Tyope. 

"  I  will  get  her.     You  may  help  me  or  not  1 " 

"  I  dare  you  to  do  it,"  Tyope  hissed. 

Nacaytzusle  looked  straight  at  him. 

"  Do  you  believe,"  he  hissed  in  turn,  "  that  if  I  were  to 
go  down  to  the  brook  and  tell  the  tapop  what  you  have 
urged  me  and  my  people  to  do  against  your  kin  that  he 
would  not  reward  me?" 

Tyope  Tihua  became  very  quiet;  his  features  lost  the 
threatening  tension  which  they  had  displayed,  his  eyes 
opened,  and  he  said  in  a  softer  tone, — 

"  That  is  just  what  I  want  you  to  do.  But  I  want  this 
from  you  alone.  Go  and  see  the  tapop.  Tell  him  not  the 
small  talk  about  this  and  that,  but  what  you  have  seen  with 
your  own  eyes  about  Shotaye,  that  witch,  that  snake,  —  of  her 
dark  ways,  how  she  sneaked  through  the  brush  on  the  mesa, 
and  how  she  found  and  gathered  the  plumage  of  the 
accursed  owl.  Tell  him  all,  and  I  will  carry  Mitsha  to  your 
lodges,  tied  and  gagged  if  needs  be." 

"  Why  don't  you  send  the  girl  out  alone  ?  I  will  wait  for 
her  wherever  vou  say." 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  6? 

41  Do  you  think  that  I  would  be  so  silly?  "  the  Pueblo  re 
torted  with  a  scornful  laugh.  "  Do  you  really  believe  I 
would  do  such  a  thing?  No,  Dinne,  you  and  your  people 
may  be  much  more  cunning  than  mine  in  many  ways,  but 
we  are  not  so  stupid  as  that.  If  I  were  to  do  that,  you 
would  rob  me  of  my  handsome  maiden  and  that  would  be 
the  last  of  it.  No,  Dinne,  I  do  not  need  you  to  such 
an  extent,  I  am  not  obliged  to  have  you.  But  if  you  go  to 
the  Tyuonyi  and  accuse  the  witch,  then  you  shall  go  out 
free,  and  Mitsha  must  follow  you  to  the  hogans  of  your 
people,  whether  she  will  or  not.  Do  what  I  tell  you,  and  I 
will  do  as  I  promise.  If  you  will  not  neither  will  I,  for 
mind,  I  do  not  need  you  any  longer." 

Tyope  glanced  at  the  stars  with  an  air  of  the  utmost  in 
difference.  Nacaytzusle  had  listened  quietly.  Now  he 
said  without  raising  his  eyes, — 

"  Tyope,  you  ask  me  to  do  all  this,  and  do  not  even  give 
me  a  pledge.  You  are  wise,  Tyope,  much  wiser  than  we 
people  of  the  hogans.  Give  me  some  token  that  you  also 
will  do  what  you  have  said  when  I  have  performed  my 
part.  Give  me  "  —  he  pointed  to  the  alabaster  tablet  hanging 
on  Tyope's  necklace  —  "  that  okpanyi  on  your  neck." 

It  was  so  dark  that  Nacaytzusle  in  extending  his  arm  in 
voluntarily  touched  the  other's  chest.  Tyope  drew  back  at 
the  touch  and  replied,  rather  excitedly,  — 

"  No,  I  will  not  give  you  any  pledge  !  " 

"Nothing  at  all?"  asked  the  Navajo.  A  slight  rustling 
noise  was  heard  at  the  same  time. 

"  Nothing  !  "  Tyope  exclaimed  hoarsely. 

The  savage  thrust  his  arm  out  at  the  Pueblo  with  the  ra 
pidity  of  lightning.  A  dull  thud  followed,  his  arm  dropped, 
and  something  fell  to  the  ground.  It  was  an  arrow,  whose 
head  of  flint  falling  on  the  ashes  caused  the  embers  to  glow 
for  an  instant.  Both  men  sprang  in  opposits  directions. 


68  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

like  snakes  darting  through  the  grass.  Each  one  concealed 
himself  behind  a  bush.  The  branches  rustled  and  cracked 
for  a  short  space.  The  place  around  the  fire  was  vacant ; 
nothing  remained  but  a  dim  streak  of  ruddy  light. 

Tyope,  after  repelling  the  assault  upon  him,  had  taken 
refuge  behind  a  low  juniper-bush.  When  the  Navajo  thrust 
a  pointed  arrow  at  his  chest  he  had  numbed  the  arm 
of  the  savage  by  a  blow  from  his  club,  and  then  both  men, 
like  true  Indians,  hurriedly  placed  themselves  under  cover, 
whence  each  listened  eagerly  to  discover  the  movements  of 
his  foe.  Tyope  could  have  killed  the  Navajo  while  close  to 
him,  for  he  had  the  advantage  in  weapons ;  but,  althougli 
he  really  had  no  further  use  for  the  young  man,  he  was  not 
so  angry  as  to  take  his  life. 

Still,  under  the  circumstances,  the  greater  the  caution 
displayed  the  better.  Intimately  acquainted  with  the  char 
acter  of  the  Dinne  Indians,  and  that  ot  Nacaytzusle  in  par 
ticular,  Tyope  had  gone  on  this  errand  well  armed.  Open 
hostility  had  resulted  from  the  interview ;  it  was  useless  to 
make  any  attempt  at  conciliation.  Speedy  return  to  the 
Rito  was  the  only  thing  left.  This  return  might  become 
not  only  difficult,  but  dangerous,  with  the  young  Navajo 
concealed  on  the  mesa.  Tyope  had  known  Nacaytzusle 
thoroughly  from  childhood. 

Twenty  years  before,  the  Dinne  had  killed  an  old  woman 
from  the  Tyuonyi.  The  murder  took  place  near  the  gorge, 
on  the  mesa  north  of  it,  whither  she  had  gone  to  collect  the 
edible  fruit  of  the  pinon  tree.  When  the  corpse  was  dis 
covered  the  scalp  had  been  taken ;  and  this,  rather  than  the 
killing,  demanded  speedy  revenge.  A  number  of  able- 
bodied  men  of  the  clan  to  which  the  grandmother  belonged 
gathered  in  order  to  fast  and  make  the  usual  sacrifices  pre 
liminary  to  the  formation  of  a  war  party.  On  the  last  night 
of  their  fast  a  delegate  from  the  hishtanyi  chavani  appeared 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  69 

in  their  midst,  and  performed  the  customary  incantations 
He  painted  their  bodies  with  the  black  lustrous  powder  ot 
iron  and  manganese  ore  which  is  believed  to  strike  terror  into 
the  hearts  of  enemies.  He  selected  their  leader,  invested 
him  with  the  office,  and  blessed  the  war-fetiches.  To  the 
leader  he  gave  a  little  bag  of  buckskin  filled  with  the  powder 
of  the  yerba  del  manso,  which  still  further  produces  dismay 
among  the  foe.  That  leader  was  Topanashka  Tihua,  then 
in  the  full  vigour  of  manhood. 

On  the  following  morning  Topanashka  left  before  day 
break  with  five  picked  men  in  the  hideous  garb  of  Indian 
braves.  They  penetrated  cautiously  the  mountain  labyrinth 
west  of  the  Rito,  concealing  themselves  during  the  day  and 
travelling  at  night.  On  the  morning  of  the  fifth  day  they 
discovered  a  few  huts  of  the  Navajo.  Whether  or  no  their 
inmates  had  participated  in  the  murder  of  the  old  woman 
they  did  not  stop  to  inquire,  but  pounced  upon  the  people 
who  were  still  asleep.  The  results  of  the  surprise  were  nine 
scalps  and  one  captive.  This  captive  was  a  little  boy,  and 
that  boy  was  Nacaytzusle. 

Although  barely  three  years  old,  he  was  dragged  to  the 
Rito  and  had  to  take  part  in  the  solemn  dance,  during 
which  the  scalps  of  his  parents  were  triumphantly  waved  by 
those  who  had  killed  them.  Afterward  he  was  adopted  into 
the  Turquoise  clan,  for  the  people  of  the  Eagle  clan  refused 
to  receive  him,  the  privilege  of  so  doing  being  theirs.  To 
panashka  disliked  the  appearance  of  the  child,  and  his  coun 
sels  weighed  heavily.  Thus  Nacaytzusle  became  an  adopted 
son  of  the  Queres,  but  it  did  not  change  his  nature.  His 
physique  at  once  indicated  foreign  origin ;  he  grew  up  to 
be  taller,  more  raw-boned,  than  the  youth  of  the  House 
people,  and  his  dark,  wolfish  look  and  the  angular  cut  of  his 
features  betrayed  his  Dinne  blood. 

Like  all  the  other  youth,  he  received  the  rude  education 


/O  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS, 

which  was  imparted  at  the  estufas.  He  showed  consider 
able  aptitude  for  mastering  songs  and  prayers,  after  once 
acquiring  the  language  of  his  captors.  He  also  watched  the 
wizards  as  often  as  opportunity  was  afforded,  and  learned 
many  a  trick  of  jugglery.  Tyope  was  struck  by  the  youth's 
aptitude  for  such  arts  and  practices.  It  revealed  natural  ten 
dencies,  and  confirmed  Tyope  in  the  belief  that  the  Navajos 
were  born  wizards,  that  their  juggleries  and  performances, 
some  of  which  are  indeed  startling,  revealed  the  possession 
of  higher  powers.  The  Pueblos  hold  the  Navajos  in  quite 
superstitious  respect.  Tyope  therefore  looked  upon  the 
young  fellow  as  one  who  in  course  of  time  might  be 
come  an  invaluable  assistant.  He  observed  the  boy's  ways, 
and  became  intimately  acquainted  with  all  his  traits,  bad 
and  good. 

Nacaytzusle  was  a  successful  hunter ;  he  was  very  nimble, 
quick,  and  exceedingly  persevering,  in  everything  he  under 
took.  But  he  was  also  a  natural  lounger  and  idler,  when 
ever  he  was  not  busy  with  preparations  for  the  hunt  or 
^pairing  his  own  scanty  clothing.  Work  in  the  fields  he 
avoided.  He  even  showed  marked  contempt  for  the  people 
of  the  Rito,  because  the  men  performed  toil  which  he 
regarded  as  degrading.  Keeping  aloof  from  the  men's 
society  to  a  certain  extent,  he  was  more  attracted  by  the 
women.  It  was  especially  Mitsha  Koitza,  Tyope's  good- 
looking  daughter,  who  attracted  him ;  and  he  began  to  pay 
attentions  to  her  in  a  manner  in  keeping  with  his  wild 
temperament.  Tyope,  strange  to  say,  was  pleased  to  notice 
this.  He  would  have  been  happy  to  have  given  his  child 
to  the  savage,  but  he  had  no  right  to  interfere  in  the  matter 
of  marriage,  for  this  belonged  to  the  girl's  own  clan  to 
arrange.  The  clan  was  that  of  the  Eagle,  and  Topanashka 
was  its  most  influential  member,  its  leading  spirit.  Mitsha 
avoided  the  Navajo;  and  when  Nacaytzusle  attempted  to 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  Jl 

press  his  suit,  the  girl  repelled  his  addresses  in  a  mannei 
that  showed  her  aversion  to  him  beyond  any  possible 
question. 

Had  Mitsha  been  less  positive  in  her  behaviour,  it  is  quite 
likely  that  the  character  of  the  young  captive  might  have 
changed,  —  that  he  might  have  softened  little  by  little,  en 
tering  into  the  path  traced  by  the  customs  of  sedentary  In 
dians.  As  it  was,  his  hatred  to  them  increased,  and  with  it 
the  desire  to  recover  his  independence  by  returning  to  his 
kindred. 

About  a  year  before,  then,  Nacaytzusle  disappeared  from 
the  Tyuonyi.  Shortly  afterward  Tyope  was  suddenly  ac 
costed  by  him  while  hunting  on  the  mesa,  and  a  secret 
intercourse  began,  which  led  to  the  negotiations  of  which 
we  have  just  heard  the  main  purport.  These  negotiations 
were  now  broken,  and  in  a  manner  that  made  a  return  to 
the  Rito  rather  dangerous.  The  very  qualities  which  had 
fascinated  Tyope  —  the  wariness,  agility,  and  persistency 
of  the  Navajo,  his  physical  strength,  and  above  all  his  sup 
posed  natural  faculties  for  magic,  coupled  with  his  thor 
ough  knowledge  of  the  country  —  caused  Tyope  to  ponder 
upon  his  means  of  escape. 

The  blow  which  he  dealt  the  savage  was  sufficient  to 
teach  him  that  a  hand-to-hand  encounter  would  not  result 
favourably  to  him.  At  the  same  time  this  slight  injury  could 
not  fail  to  exasperate  the  Navajo,  and  Tyope  knew  that  the 
savage  would  lie  in  wait  for  him  at  some  point  which  he  had 
to  pass  on  his  return.  For  the  present,  Nacaytzusle  was 
very  likely  concealed  in  the  vicinity,  in  the  same  manner 
and  for  the  same  reasons  as  the  Pueblo  Indian  himself;  but 
he  was  sure  to  leave  his  hiding-place  and  make  some  move 
ment  toward  preparing  either  an  ambush  or  a  sudden  sur 
prise.  Tyope  remained  motionless  for  a  while.  He  glanced 
across  the  space  where  the  fire  had  been  burning ;  but  every 


72  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

spark  was  gone,  and  it  was  too  dark  to  discern  anything. 
He  finally  rose  to  his  knees  slowly  and  cautiously,  and 
turned  his  eyes  in  the  opposite  direction.  There  also  was 
an  open  space,  and  the  dim  starlight  enabled  him  to  dis 
cover  that  between  his  station  and  the  nearest  tree  some 
thing  similar  to  a  rock  or  ledge  protruded.  He  peered  and 
listened,  then  turned  around  on  his  knees  and  flattening 
his  body  on  the  ground  began  to  creep  toward  the  tree. 
As  soon  as  he  reached  its  foot  he  rose  to  full  height,  leaned 
against  the  trunk,  and  glanced  at  the  stars.  They  indicated 
that  it  was  past  midnight,  and  Tyope  felt  uneasy.  In  case 
he  should  be  delayed,  and  reach  the  Rito  after  daylight,  it 
might  excite  suspicions.  Yet  his  only  safety  lay  in  making 
a  wide  circuit. 

The  dismal  yelping  of  a  prairie  wolf  struck  his  ear,  and 
to  his  alarm  there  was  at  once  a  reply  near  where  the 
interview  had  taken  place,  but  slightly  to  the  east  and  more 
toward  the  deep  gorge  in  which  the  Rio  Grande  flows. 
He  concluded  that  Nacaytzusle  had  shifted  his  position,  by 
placing  himself  on  Tyope's  supposed  line  of  retreat.  But 
it  was  also  manifest  that  the  boy  had  not  come  to  the  meet 
ing  alone,  —  that  at  least  one  more  Navajo  lurked  in  the 
vicinity.  At  least  one,  perhaps  more. 

Another  wolf  now  howled  in  the  direction  of  the  south. 
A  fourth  one  was  heard  farther  off,  and  both  voices  united 
in  a  plaintive  wail.  Any  one  unacquainted  with  the  re 
markable  perfection  with  which  the  Navajos  imitate  the 
nocturnal  chant  of  the  so-called  coyote,  would  have  been 
deceived,  and  have  taken  the  sounds  for  the  voices  of  the 
animals  themselves ;  but  Tyope  recognized  them  as  signals 
through  which  four  Navajo  Indians  prowling  around  him 
informed  each  other  of  their  positions  and  movements. 
This  made  his  own  situation  exceedingly  critical.  The 
only  mitigating  circumstance  was  that  the  four  were  dis- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  73 

parsed,  and  only  one  of  them  could  as  yet  have  an  idea  of 
his  whereabouts. 

The  Indian  from  the  Rito  braced  himself  against  the  tree, 
and  taking  off  his  helmet  laid  it  carefully  beside  him  on  the 
ground.  Then  he  took  off  the  quiver,  emptied  it,  and  tied 
the  strap  to  which  it  was  fastened  around  his  waist.  To 
this  belt  he  tied  both  the  quiver  and  the  helmet,  distributing 
them  in  such  a  manner  that  in  the  prevailing  darkness  they 
appeared  like  one  of  the  ragged  kilts  of  deer-skin  which 
formed  the  main  part  of  a  Navajo's  costume.  Next  Tyope 
untied  the  knot  which  held  his  hair  on  the  back  of  the  head, 
divided  the  long  strands  into  switches,  and  began  to  wind 
those  around  his  skull.  Necklace,  fetich,  and  the  plume 
that  adorned  his  sidelock,  he  put  in  the  quiver.  He  was 
now  so  far  transformed  that  any  one,  Nacaytzusle  excepted, 
might  have  taken  him  in  the  night  for  a  Navajo  warrior.  > 
This  metamorphosis  was  performed  rapidly,  but  without 
anxious  haste  or  confusion.  The  howls  had  meanwhile  been 
repeated.  They  sounded  nearer  than  before  from  the  east, 
the  south,  and  the  southeast.  Nacaytzusle  alone,  to  judge 
from  the  signals  which  he  gave,  remained  stationary. 

Tyope,  abandoning  his  position  at  the  foot  of  the  tree, 
glided  to  the  nearest  shrub.  Thence  he  struck  northward 
in  the  direction  of  the  Rito.  He  walked  erect,  but  scrupu 
lously  avoided  everything  that  might  create  noise.  When 
near  the  fireplace  he  stood  still  and  listened.  A  wolf  yelped 
to  the  right  of  where  the  Dinne  of  whom  Tyope  was  most 
afraid  seemed  to  be  listening,  about  two  hundred  steps 
from  him,  on  the  swelling  of  the  mesa.  He  manifestly  ex 
pected  the  Queres  to  return  the  same  way  he  came.  It 
was  not  a  sign  of  much  wisdom,  but  the  boy  was  young  and 
inexperienced  in  the  stratagems  of  Indian  warfare.  Tyope 
felt  relieved. 

Suddenly   loud   barking   sounded    directlv   in   front   o£ 


74  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

him,  and  at  no  great  distance.  Tyope  dropped  on  the 
ground  and  began  to  glide  like  a  snake  toward  the 
place  whence  this  last  signal  came.  He  crouched  behind 
9.  flat  rock  and  raised  his  eyes.  It  was  in  vain ;  nothing 
could  be  seen  in  the  obscurity.  He  felt  puzzled.  Was 
this  last  signal  the  voice  of  another  enemy  who  had  hitherto 
remained  silent,  or  was  it  Nacaytzusle  who  had  changed 
his  position?  At  all  events  it  was  safer  to  rise  and  go 
directly  toward  the  spot,  rather  than  approach  it  in  a 
creeping  posture.  He  walked  deliberately  onward,  at  the 
same  time  calling  out  in  a  low  tone,  — 

"  Nacaytzusle  ! " 

Nothing  moved. 

He  advanced  a  few  steps  and  repeated,  — 

"Nacaytzusle!     Hast  thou  seen  anything?" 

"  No,"  said  a  hollow  voice  near  by,  and  a  human  form 
arose  as  if  from  beneath  the  surface.  The  man  stepped 
up  to  Tyope ;  and  to  the  latter's  unpeakable  relief,  he 
looked  stouter  and  shorter  than  Nacaytzusle.  The  Indian 
was  unknown  to  him,  and  Tyope  said  eagerly,  — 

"The  badger  must  be  hiding  near  where  the  fire  is. 
We  should  cut  off  his  trail  to  the  north.  Nacaytzusle 
went  too  far  east;  there"  —  he  pointed  toward  the  north 
east —  "is  where  he  ought  to  stand." 

Tyope  spoke  the  Navajo  language  fluently. 

"  Thou  art  right,"  said  the  other ;  "  go  thither,  and  we 
will  be  closer  together." 

Tyope  felt  loath  to  follow  this  advice,  for  it  would  have 
brought  him  uncomfortably  near  his  most  dangerous  foe ; 
yet,  under  the  circumstances  and  to  avoid  all  suspicion 
he  accepted  the  suggestion,  and  was  about  to  turn  in  the 
direction  indicated  when  the  signals  sounded  again  and 
simultaneously  from  every  quarter.  The  strange  Indiar, 
him  back,  asking,  — 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  75 

"How  is  this?  We  are  five,  and  four  have  shouted 
now.  Who  art  thou,  and  where  dost  thou  come  from?" 

"I  came  from  above,"  Tyope  replied,  with  affected 
composure. 

They  stood  so  close  together  that  the  Navajo  could  no 
tice  some  details  of  Tyope's  accoutrements.  Grasping  the 
cap  of  buffalo  hide  which  dangled  from  the  belt  of  the 
Queres,  he  inquired,  — 

"What  dost  thou  carry  here?" 

All  was  lost,  for  the  Navajos  were  well  acquainted  with 
this  garment,  peculiar  to  the  war  dress  of  the  Pueblos. 
Tyope  saw  that  only  the  most  reckless  act  could  save  him. 
So  he  dropped  all  his  arrows,  which  until  now  he  had 
carried  in  his  right  hand,  and  thrust  his  club  like  a  slung- 
shot  into  the  other's  face.  With  a  yell  of  pain  and  sur 
prise  the  Navajo  tumbled  backward  into  a  bush,  while 
Tyope  darted  forward  in  the  direction  of  the  Rito.  Be 
hind  him  sounded  the  hoarse  cries  of  the  wounded  man, 
loud  yells  answering.  They  came  from  four  sides;  all 
the  pursuers  were  running  at  full  speed  to  the  assistance 
of  their  companion. 

Madly,  like  a  deer  pursued  by  wolves,  Tyope  bounded 
onward.  But  soon  his  speed  slackened ;  he  believed  that 
he  was  safe,  and  there  was  no  use  in  tiring  himself.  His 
movements  were  no  longer  noiseless  as  before.  During 
his  first  run  he  had  made  so  much  noise  as  to  lead  the 
pursuers  directly  on  his  trail.  These  pursuers  had  sud 
denly  become  silent.  Nevertheless,  from  time  to  time, 
rustling  sounds  struck  the  ear  of  Tyope,  and  proved  that 
the  pursuit  was  carried  on  unrelentingly.  He  noticed  a 
suspicious  twittering  and  cracking,  not  behind  him,  but 
at  one  side  ;  and  it  approached. 

He  comprehended  at  once  that  one  of  the  Navajos, 
instead  of  rushing  to  the  rescue  of  the  one  whom  Tyope 


?6  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

had  struck  down,  had  taken  a  direction  diagonal  to  his 
own,  with  the  hope  of  intercepting  him  near  the  brink 
of  the  declivity  leading  down  into  the  Rito,  or  perhaps 
sooner.  A  change  in  his  line  of  flight  was  thereby  ren 
dered  necessary,  but  in  what  direction?  The  warning 
sounds  were  heard  directly  north  of  him ;  then  every 
thing  became  quiet.  The  same  stillness  reigned  all 
around ;  and  this  proved  that  the  pursuers,  while  cer 
tainly  approaching  with  the  greatest  possible  alacrity, 
were  anxious  to  cover  their  movements.  Tyope  stood 
still,  undecided  what  to  do.  The  sound  of  a  breaking 
or  bending  twig,  faint  though  audible,  caused  him  to 
crouch  behind  a  cedar  bush  again.  He  held  his  breath, 
listened,  and  peered  through  the  branches.  Soon  a  man 
appeared,  —  a  Navajo;  but  whether  it  was  Nacaytzusle  or 
not,  he  could  not  discover.  The  Indian  glided  across  the 
open  space  as  noiselessly  as  a  spectre,  and  disappeared  in 
a  northerly  direction.  Tyope  remained  in  his  concealment 
for  a  while,  and  as  nothing  more  was  heard  or  seen,  he 
crawled  to  the  nearest  shrub  to  the  west.  There  he 
again  listened  and  watched,  then  rose  to  his  feet  and 
moved  in  a  westerly  direction. 

The  moon  had  risen,  and  its  crescent  shed  a  glimmer 
over  the  tree-tops.  For  some  time  Tyope  walked  on. 
Frequently  he  halted  to  listen  ;  everything  was  still.  From 
this  he  inferred  that  his  enemies  had  passed  him,  and  were 
now  stationed  along  the  brink  of  the  gorge  in  order  to  in 
tercept  him,  and  that  he  had  gone  far  enough  to  risk  a  de 
scent  from  where  he  stood.  It  did  not  seem  likely  that 
the  Navajos  had  posted  themselves  so  far  up  the  brink, 
since  he  knew  it  to  be  beyond  the  highest  cave-dwellings. 
Turning  to  the  north,  therefore,  he  soon  found  himself 
under  the  last  trees  of  the  mesa.  Beyond  opened  a  whit 
ish  chasm,  and  the  northern  cliffs  Q£  the  Rito  rose  like 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  TJ 

dim  gigantic  phantoms.  Here  he  knew  the  descent  had  to 
be  made,  but  here  also  the  most  imminent  danger  was 
lurking. 

The  brink  of  the  Rito  on  the  south  side  is  lined  by  shrub 
bery,  with  high  timber  interspersed ;  but  ledges  of  friable 
volcanic  rocks  advance  in  places  beyond  this  shade,  crown 
ing  the  heights  like  irregular  battlements.  Their  surface  is 
bare,  and  anything  moving  on  them  might  become  visible 
to  a  watchful  eye,  notwithstanding  the  dimness  of  the 
moonlight. 

Tyope  lay  down,  and  began  to  glide  like  a  snake.  He 
moved  slowly,  pushing  his  body  into  every  depression,  hug 
ging  closely  every  protuberance.  Thus  he  succeeded  in 
crossing  the  open  space  between  the  woods  and  the  rim  of 
the  declivity.  Now  he  could  overlook  the  valley  beneatn 
and  glance  down  the  slope.  It  was  not  very  steep,  and 
thickets  covered  it  in  places.  But  between  him  and  the 
nearest  brush  a  bare  ledge  had  yet  to  be  crossed.  He 
crept  into  a  wide  fissure,  and  then  down.  The  crags  were 
not  high,  scarcely  ten  feet.  Then  he  pushed  cautiously  on 
to  the  open  space.  When  near  the  middle  of  it  he  raised 
his  head  to  look  around.  Immediately  a  twang  sounded 
from  the  heights  above  him,  and  a  whiz  followed.  Tyope 
bounded  to  his  feet,  reeled  for  a  moment ;  another  twang 
and  another  whizzing,  —  an  arrow  struck  the  ground  where 
ne  nad  lain ;  but  already  the  Queres  was  away,  leaping  from 
rock  to  rock,  tearing  through  shrubbery  and  thickets  like  a 
frightened  mountain  sheep.  Stones  rolled  from  above; 
somebody  was  hastening  down  in  pursuit ;  arrow  upon 
arrow  sped  after  the  fugitive.  But  Tyope  was  safely  out  of 
reach  and  in  the  bottom,  whither  the  Navajo  did  not  dare 
to  follow.  A  drizzling  noise,  like  that  of  pebbles  dropping 
from  a  height,  told  that  the  pursuer  had  withdrawn  to  the 
woods  again  :  then  all  was  still. 


78  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Down  below  on  the  edge  of  the  brook  lay  Tyope,  panting 
from  exhaustion.  His  life  was  safe  and  he  felt  unhurt,  but 
he  was  overcome  by  emotion  and  effort.  As  long  as  the 
excitement  had  lasted  his  physical  strength  had  held  out. 
Now  that  all  was  over  he  felt  tired  and  weak.  Yet  he  could 
not  think  of  rest,  for  daybreak  was  close  at  hand.  He  dipped 
some  water  from  the  brook  and  moistened  his  parched  lips, 
taking  care  not  to  touch  his  face  or  body  with  the  liquid. 
Tyope  was  tired  and  worn  out,  but  at  the  same  time  angry ; 
and  when  the  Indian  suffers  or  when  he  is  angry  he  neither 
washes  nor  bathes.  Physical  or  mental  pain,  disappoint 
ment,  and  wrath,  are  with  him  compatible  only  with  lack 
of  cleanliness,  and  since  he  becomes  wrathful  or  disap 
pointed  or  sick  quite  as  often  as  we  do,  his  bodily  condition 
,.  is  frequently  far  from  pleasant. 

Tyope  felt  angry  and  disappointed  at  himself.  The  fail 
ure  in  regard  to  Nacaytzusle  was  not  the  cause  of  his  dis 
appointment.  What  angered  him  was  that  he  had  not 
killed  the  Navajo  whom  he  struck  down  on  the  mesa,  and 
taken  his  scalp.  There  would  have  been  ample  time,  and 
he  could  have  concealed  the  trophy,  returning  for  it  in  the 
daytime.  He  had  already  taken  one  scalp  in  his  life,  but 
to  have  missed  this  opportunity  of  securing  a  second  one 
was  an  unpardonable  failure.  It  was  this  which  caused  him 
to  avoid  the  cooling  waters  and  forget  the  demands  of 
cleanliness. 

He  rose  and  walked  on.  The  valley  opened  before  him ; 
the  dim  light  of  a  waning  moon  shone  into  it,  allowing  a 
practised  eye  to  discern  grotto  after  grotto  in  the  cliffs.  As 
Tyope  proceeded  down  the  gorge,  following  the  brook's 
course,  he  glanced  at  the  caves.  They  were  those  of  the. 
Water  clan.  He  frowned  and  clenched  his  fist  in  anger. 
There  lived  his  enemy,  Shotaye,  his  former  spouse.  There 
was  her  den,  the  abode  of  the  hated  witch.  How  often  had 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  79 

she  crossed  his  path,  how  often  warned  those  whom  he  had 
planned  to  injure  !  Yes,  she  was  a  sorceress,  for  she  knew 
too  much  about  his  ways.  But  now  his  time  would  come, 
for  he  too  knew  something  concerning  her  that  must  ruin 
her  forever.  He  had  known  it  for  some  time,  but  only 
now  was  it  possible  to  accuse  her.  He  shook  his  fist  at  the 
cliffs  in  silent  rage ;  the  thought  of  taking  revenge  filled  his 
heart  with  sinister  joy,  and  made  him  forget  the  fatigue  and 
disappointment  of  the  past  hours. 

He  soon  stood  in  front  of  the  place  where  the  cliffs  form 
a  perpendicular  wall,  and  where  instead  of  excavating  dwell 
ings  the  people  of  the  Eagle  clan  had  built  their  quarters 
outside,  using  the  smooth  surface  of  the  rock  as  a  rear  wall. 
A  row  of  terraced  houses,  some  three,  some  two  stories  high, 
others  with  a  ground- floor  only,  extended  along  the  base  of 
the  rocks,  looking  like  a  shapeless  ruin  in  the  faint  glow  of 
the  moon.  Toward  this  edifice  Tyope  walked.  All  was 
silent,  for  nobody  had  as  yet  risen  from  sleep.  He  climbed 
on  the  roof  of  a  one-story  house  and  stooped  over  the 
hatchway  to  listen.  It  was  dark  inside,  and  only  the  sound 
of  regular  breathings  could  be  heard.  Tyope  descended 
into  the  room.  Two  persons  lay  on  the  floor  fast  asleep. 
They  were  his  wife  and  daughter.  Concealing  his  weapons 
and  war-accoutrements,  he  stretched  himself  at  full  length 
beside  the  others.  The  rushing  of  the  brook  was  but  faintly 
heard ;  a  cold  blast  entered  through  the  loophole  in  the  wall. 
Tyope  heaved  a  deep  sigh  of  relief  and  closed  his  weary 
eyes.  The  night  was  nearly  over,  but  he  had  reached  home 
before  the  dawn  of  day. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A  BRIGHT  morning  followed  the  night  on  which  Tyope 
underwent  his  adventures.  He  slept  long,  but  it  attracted 
no  undue  attention  and  called  forth  no  remarks  on  the 
part  of  his  wife  and  daughter.  They  were  wont  to  see 
him  come  and  go  at  any  hour  of  the  night.  It  was  very 
near  noon  when  he  awoke  at  last,  and  after  disposing  of  his 
late  breakfast,  d  la  mode  du  pays,  sauntered  off  to  parts 
unknown  to  the  others.  The  day  was  one  of  remarkable 
beauty.  No  dim  foggy  city  sun  cast  a  sullen  glance  at  the 
landscape.  The  sun  stood  in  the  zenith  of  a  sky  of  the 
deepest  azure,  like  a  flaming,  sparkling,  dazzling  meteor. 
Still  its  heat  was  not  oppressive. 

On  the  mesa  above  the  Rito  a  fresh  wind  was  blowing. 
The  shrubbery  was  gently  moved  by  the  breeze.  A  faint 
rushing  sound  was  heard,  like  distant  waves  surging  back 
and  forth.  In  the  gorge  a  zephyr  only  fanned  the  tops  of 
the  tallest  pines ;  a  quietness  reigned,  a  stillness,  like  that 
which  the  poets  of  old  ascribe  to  the  Elysian  fields. 

There  is  not  much  bustle  about  the  big  house  on  the 
Tyuonyi.  The  men  are  out  and  at  work,  and  the  children 
have  retired  to  the  court-yard.  A  group  of  girls  alone 
enlivens  the  space  between  the  main  building  and  the  new 
home  of  the  Corn  people.  They  are  gathered  in  a  throng 
while  they  talk,  laugh,  and  chatter,  pointing  at  the  fresh 
coat  of  clay  which  they  have  finished  applying  to  the  out 
side  cf  the  new  building.  Their  hands  are  yet  filled  with 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  8 1 

the  liquid  material  used  for  plastering,  and  they  taunt  each 
other  as  to  the  relative  merits  of  their  work. 

One  of  the  maidens,  a  plump  little  thing  with  a  pair  of 
lively  eyes,  calls  out  to  another,  pointing  at  a  spot  where 
the  plaster  appears  less  smooth  and  even, — 

"  See  there,  Aistshie,  you  did  that !  You  were  too  lazy 
to  go  over  it  again.  Look  at  my  work;  how  even  it  is 
compared  with  yours  !  " 

The  other  girl  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  retorted,  — 

"  It  may  be,  but  it  is  not  my  fault,  it  is  yours,  Sayap. 
You  did  it  yesterday  when  we  beat  off  the  boys.  You 
pushed  Shyuote  against  the  wall  and  he  thumped  his  head 
here.  See,  this  is  the  mark  where  he  struck  the  clay.  You 
did  this,  Sayap,  not  I." 

Sayap  laughed,  and  her  buxom  form  shook. 

"  You  are  right ;  I  did  it,  I  served  the  urchin  right.  It 
was  good,  was  it  not,  Aistshie?  How  I  punished  the 
brat,  and  how  he  looked  afterward  with  his  face  all  one 
mud-patch  !  " 

"  Yes,"  Aistshie  objected,  "  but  I  did  more.  I  faced 
Okoya,  despite  his  bow  and  arrows.  That  was  more  than 
you  did." 

The  other  girls  interrupted  the  scornful  reply  which  Sayap 
was  on  the  point  of  giving.  They  crowded  around  the 
two  with  a  number  of  eager  questions. 

"What  was  it?  "  queried  one. 

"  What  happened  yesterday  ?  "  another. 

"  Did  you  have  a  quarrel  with  boys,"  a  third ;  and  so  on. 
All  pressed  around  begging  and  coaxing  them  to  tell  the 
story  of  yesterday's  adventure.  The  heroines  themselves 
looked  at  each  other  in  embarrassment.  At  last  Aistshie 
broke  out,  — 

"  You  tell  it,  Sayap." 

"  Well,"  began  the  latter,  "  it  was  yesterday  afternoon 

6 


82  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

and  we  were  just  putting  on  the  last  touches  of  the  coating, 
when  Okoya  and  little  Shyuote  his  brother — " 

A  clod,  skilfully  hurled,  struck  her  right  ear,  filling  it  with 
sand  and  cutting  off  the  thread  of  her  narrative  rather 
abruptly.  Sayap  wheeled  around  to  see  whence  the  blow 
had  come.  The  other  girls  all  laughed,  but  she  was  angry. 
Her  wrath  was  raised  to  the  highest  pitch  however,  when 
she  discovered  that  Shyuote  was  the  aggressor.  On  a  little 
eminence  near  by  stood  the  scamp,  dancing,  cutting  capers, 
and  yelling  triumphantly. 

"  Shyuote  is  small,  but  he  knows  how  to  throw." 

"  Fiend,"  cried  Sayap  in  reply.  She  picked  up  a  stone, 
raised  it  in  the  awkward  manner  in  which  most  girls  handle 
missiles,  and  running  toward  the  boy  hurled  it  at  him.  It 
fell  far  short  of  its  mark,  of  course,  and  Shyuote  only  laughed, 
danced,  and  grimaced  so  much  the  more.  As  Sayap  kept 
advancing  and  the  other  girls  followed,  he  threw  a  second 
clod,  which  struck  her  squarely  in  the  face,  and  so  sharply 
that  blood  flowed  from  her  nose  and  mouth.  At  the  same 
time  the  rogue  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  — 

"  Come  on  !  All  of  you  !  I  am  not  afraid.  You  will 
never  catch  me  !  " 

And  as  the  majority  of  his  pursuers  came  on,  while  two 
or  three  remained  behind  soothing  and  consoling  Sayap, 
who  stood  still,  crying  and  bleeding,  he  thrust  out  his  tongue 
at  them  its  full  length,  performed  a  number  of  odious  gri 
maces,  and  then  nimbly  clambered  up  between  a  group  of 
erosive  cones  that  lay  in  front  of  the  cliff.  He  turned 
around  once  more  to  yell  defiance  and  scorn  at  his  pur 
suers,  and  disappeared  on  the  other  side.  Farther  pursuit 
being  hopeless,  the  girls  clustered  around  the  weeping 
Sayap  and  held  a  council  of  war.  They  vowed  dire  ven 
geance  on  the  lad,  and  promised  their  injured  sister  to 
imorove  the  first  opportunity  that  should  Dresent  itself. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  83 

Shyuote,  on  the  other  hand,  felt  proud  of  his  success. 
His  revenge  was,  he  felt,  a  glorious  one.  Still  he  was  care 
ful  not  to  forget  the  counsels  of  prudence,  and  instead  of 
returning  to  the  house  by  a  direct  route,  which  might  have 
carried  him  too  near  the  enraged  damsels,  he  sauntered 
along,  hugging  the  cliffs  for  some  distance,  and  then  cau 
tiously  sneaked  into  the  fields  below  the  new  homes  of  the 
Maize  clan.  Once  in  the  corn  he  felt  safe,  and  was  about 
to  cross  the  brook  to  the  south  side,  when  the  willows 
bordering  the  streamlet  rustled  and  tossed,  and  a  voice 
called  to  him  from  the  thicket, — 

"Where  are  you  going,  uak?  " 

Shyuote  stopped,  and  looked  around  for  the  speaker ;  but 
nobody  was  visible.  Again  the  boughs  rustled  and  shook, 
and  there  emerged  from  the  willows  an  old  man  of  low 
stature,  with  iron-gray  hair  and  shrivelled  features.  He  wore 
no  ornaments  at  all ;  his  wrap  was  without  belt  and  very 
dirty.  In  his  left  hand  he  held  a  plant  which  he  had 
pulled  up  by  the  roots.  He  stepped  up  to  Shyuote,  stood 
close  by  his  side,  and  growled  at  him  rather  than  spoke. 

"  I  asked  you  where  you  were  going.  Why  don't  you 
answer?" 

Shyuote  was  frightened,  and  stammered  in  reply,  — 

"  To  see  my  father." 

"  Who  is  your  father?  " 

"  Zashue  Tihua." 

The  features  of  the  interlocutor  took  on  a  singular 
expression.  It  was  not  one  of  pleasure,  neither  did  it 
betoken  anger;  if  anything,  it  denoted  a  sort  of  grim 
satisfaction. 

"  If  Zashue  is  your  father,"  continued  he,  and  his  eyes 
twinkled  strangely,  "  Say  Koitza  must  be  your  mother." 

"  Of  course,"  retorted  the  boy,  to  whom  this  interroga- 
forv  seemed  ludicrous. 


84  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  And  Okoya  your  brother,"  the  old  man  persisted. 

"Why  do  you  ask  all  this?"  inquired  the  child, 
laughingly. 

A  look,  piercing  and  venomous,  darted  from  the  eyes  of 
the  questioning  man.  He  snarled  angrily,  — 

"  Because  I  ask  it.  I  ask,  and  you  shall  answer  me  with 
out  inquiring  why  and  wherefore.  Do  you  hear,  uak?  " 

Shyuote  hung  his  head ;  he  felt  afraid. 

"  I  forbid  you  to  say  anything  about  what  I  say  to  you  to 
your  mother,"  continued  the  other,  grasping  the  left  arm  of 
the  boy. 

Shyuote  shook  off  the  grip,  and  also  shook  his  head  in 
token  of  refusal.  The  old  man  seized  the  arm  again  and 
clutched  it  so  firmly  with  his  bony  fingers  that  the  lad 
screamed  from  pain. 

"  Let  me  go  !  "  he  cried.     "  You  hurt  me,  let  me  go  !  " 

"Will  you  do  as  I  bid  you?"  asked  his  tormentor. 

"  Yes,"  sobbed  the  child.  "  I  will  obey.  My  mother 
shall  not  know  anything.  Let  me  go,  you  hurt !  " 

The  man  loosened  his  grip  slightly. 

"  To  your  father  you  shall  say  that  I,  the  Koshare  Naua," 

—  the  boy  looked  up  at  him  at  these  words  in  astonishment, 

—  "  send  word  to  him  through  you  to  come  to  my  house 
on  the  night  after  the  one  that  will  follow  this  day,  when 
the  new  moon  sets  behind  the  mountains.     Do  you  hear 
me,  boy?" 

Shyuote  stared  at  the  interlocutor  with  mouth  wide  open, 
and  with  an  expression  of  fear  and  surprise  that  evidently 
amused  the  other.  He  gave  him  a  last  look,  a  sharp,  threat 
ening,  penetrating  glance ;  then  his  features  became  less 
stern. 

"  Have  no  fear,"  he  said  in  a  milder  tone.  "  I  will  not 
lo  you  any  harm  ;  but  you  must  do  as  I  say.  Go  to  your 
lashtio  now,  and  tell  him  what  I  said."  With  this  he 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  85 

wheeled  about  and  left  the  boy  as  abruptly  as  he  had  ap 
peared.  Shyuote  stood  gaping  and  perplexed. 

He  felt  very  much  like  crying.  His  arm  still  ached  from 
the  grip  of  the  old  man,  and  while  he  was  rubbing  the  sore 
spot  his  anger  rose  at  the  harsh  and  cruel  treatment  he 
had  suffered.  He  thought  of  rushing  home  to  his  mother 
forthwith  and  telling  her  all  about  the  bad  old  man,  and 
how  he  had  forbidden  him  to  say  anything  to  her.  Still, 
the  Koshare  Naua  was  not  to  be  trifled  with,  and  Shyuote, 
young  and  childish  as  he  was,  had  some  misgivings  about 
betraying  his  confidence.  His  father  had  told  him  that  the 
Naua,  or  chief  leader  of  the  Koshare,  was  a  very  wise  and 
therefore  a  very  powerful  man.  Zashue,  who  as  soon  as, 
Shyuote  was  born  had  pledged  the  child  to  become  one  of 
the  Delight  Makers,  was  educating  the  lad  gradually  in  his 
duties ;  and  Shyuote  had  already  imbibed  enough  of  that 
discipline  to  feel  a  tremendous  respect  for  the  leader  of  the 
society  to  which  he  was  pledged  to  belong.  He  suppressed 
the  thoughts  of  rebellion  that  had  arisen,  and  strolled  on, 
crossing  the  creek  and  hunting  for  his  father  among  the 
corn-patches  on  the  other  side.  But  his  good-humour  had 
left  him.  Instead  of  being  triumphantly  buoyant,  he  felt 
morose  and  humiliated. 

Zashue  Tihua  was  at  work  in  the  fields  of  the  Water 
clan,  on  the  southern  border  of  the  cultivated  plots.  He 
was  not  alone ;  another  young  man  kept  him  company. 
It  was  his  younger  brother,  Hayoue.  They  were  weeding 
side  by  side,  and  exchanging  remarks  while  the  work  went 
on.  Zashue  looked  up,  and  his  handsome  face  brightened 
when  he  discovered  Shyuote  coming  toward  them  through 
the  maize.  A  visit  from  his  favourite  child,  although  by  no 
means  an  unusual  occurrence,  was  always  a  source  of  pleas 
ure.  He  liked  to  have  Shyuote  around  him  when  he  was 
at  work. 


86  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Throwing  a  small,  sharp  stone-splinter  toward  the  boy,  he 
called  out  to  him,  — 

"  Come,  take  this  okpanyi  and  begin  weeding  where  you 
stand.  Weed  toward  us  until  we  meet,  and  we  will  go 
home  together  to  the  yaya." 

This  was  still  further  a  source  of  displeasure  to  Shyuote, 
who  above  all  things  disliked  work.  He  had  not  come 
down  to  the  fields  to  toil.  What  he  sought  for  was  a 
friendly  chat  with  his  father,  a  few  hours  of  lounging  and 
loafing  near  him.  Disappointed  and  pouting,  he  bent  over 
the  work  assigned,  while  the  two  men  went  on  with  their 
task  as  well  as  with  their  conversation. 

Hayoue  was  taller  than  his  brother,  and  a  strikingly  hand 
some  young  Indian.  His  eyes  had  a  more  serious  and  less 
mischievous  expression  than  those  of  Zashue.  He  was  yet 
unmarried;  but,  notwithstanding,  a  marked  predilection 
for  the  fair  sex  formed  one  of  his  characteristics.  He  was 
held  in  high  esteem  by  the  leading  men  of  the  tribe,  Tyope 
and  his  adherents  excepted,  for  his  sagacity,  good  judg 
ment,  and  personal  valour. 

"  I  tell  you,"  Zashue  spoke  up,  "  Shyuote  will  become  a 
good  one." 

Hayoue  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  replied,  — 

"  You  should  know  your  own  children  better  than  I,  yet 
I  tell  you  Okoya  also  is  good ;  besides,  he  is  wise  and 
reserved." 

"Yes;  but  he  is  too  much  with  the  women,  and  his 
mother  stands  nearer  to  him  than  his  father.  He  never 
follows  me  to  the  fields  unless  I  tell  him.  Look  at  the 
little  one,  on  the  other  hand.  He  will  be  a  man." 

While  his  brother  spoke  Hayoue  had  quietly  observed 
Shyuote  ;  and  the  slow,  loitering  way  in  which  the  boy  per 
formed  his  work  had  not  escaped  his  observation.  He 
said,  — 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  87 

"It  may  be.  To-day  he  certainly  acts  rather  like  an 
old  woman.  See  how  loath  he  is  to  weed  the  plants." 

"  You  always  prefer  Okoya,"  replied  Zashue.  "  You  like 
him  because  he  never  opens  his  mouth  unless  an  arrow  is 
forced  between  his  teeth." 

"  And  you  prefer  Shyuote  because  you  are  making  a  Ko> 
share  of  him,"  Hayoue  answered,  with  great  composure. 

"  He  surely  will  become  a  good  one,  a  better  one  than 
I  am." 

"  If  he  becomes  as  good  a  Delight  Maker  as  you  are, 
Zashue,  we  may  be  satisfied.  Shall  you  soon  retire  to 
the  estufa?"  he  inquired,  changing  the  subject  of  the 
conversation. 

"  I  don't  know ;  the  Naua  has  not  said  anything  as 
yet,  but  the  time  is  near  at  hand  when  we  should  begin 
to  work.  Before  going  into  the  round  house  in  the  rocks, 
we  ought  to  be  sure  that  there  are  no  Navajos  in  the 
neighbourhood.  You  are  Kauanyi,  a  member  of  the  order 
of  warriors,"  he  added  with  a  side-glance  at  his  brother, 
"do  you  know  anything  of  the  sneaking  wolves  in  the 
mountains?" 

Hayoue  denied  any  knowledge  concerning  the  Navajos, 
adding,  — 

"  I  did  not  like  it  when  that  fellow  Nacaytzusle  ran  away 
from  us.  He  knew  too  much  of  our  ways." 

"  He  can  do  no  harm.  He  is  glad  to  stay  among  his 
people." 

"  Still  I  don't  trust  him,"  Hayoue  muttered. 

"Neither  would  I,  if  I  were  in  your  place,"  Zashue 
taunted,  and  a  good-natured  though  mischievous  smile  lit 
up  his  features.  "  If  I  were  you  I  would  keep  still  better 
guard  over  Mitsha  Koitza." 

"What  have  I  to  do  with  the  child  of  Tyope,"  ex 
claimed  the  other,  rather  contemptuously. 


88  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Indeed  ?  "  queried  Zashue,  "  so  you,  too,  are  against 
Tyope?  What  has  he  done  to  you?" 

"  Nothing,  but  I  mistrust  him  as  much  as  I  do  the 
Navajo." 

These  last  words  were  uttered  in  such  a  positive  manner  — 
they  were  so  earnestly  emphasized  —  that  they  cut  off  the 
conversation.  It  was  plain  that  Hayoue  had  made  up  his 
mind  on  the  subject,  and  that  he  did  not  wish  to  have  it 
broached  again. 

"  Sa  nashtio,"  called  Shyuote  over  to  where  the  brothers 
were  weeding  in  silence,  "  come  over  here ;  I  must  tell  you 
something,  but  I  must  tell  it  to  you  alone." 

Hayoue  at  once  turned  away,  while  Zashue  called  the  lad 
to  him.  But  Shyuote  protested,  saying  that  only  his  father 
was  to  hear  his  communication,  and  Zashue  at  last  went 
where  the  boy  was  standing.  It  vexed  him,  and  he  in 
quired  rather  gruffly  what  he  had  to  say.  Shyuote  made 
a  very  wise  and  important  face,  placed  a  finger  to  his  lips, 
and  whispered,  — 

"  The  Koshare  Naua  told  me  to  tell  you  that  you  should 
go  to  see  him,  not  to-morrow,  but  the  day  after,  when  the 
moon  goes  behind  the  mountains." 

"  Is  that  all !  "  exclaimed  Zashue,  disappointed  and  angry, 
—  "  is  that  all  you  had  to  say  ?  That  much  you  might  have 
shouted  to  me.  There  was  no  need  of  being  so  secret 
about  it,  and"  —  he  glanced  at  the  insignificant  and  care 
less  work  the  boy  had  performed  —  "is  that  all  you  have 
done  since  you  came  ?  You  are  lazy,  uak  !  Go  home.  Go 
home  at  once  to  your  mother  and  tell  her  that  I  shall  not 
return  for  the  evening,  but  will  stay  with  Hayoue  in  the 
caves."  And  as  Shyuote,  dismayed  and  troubled,  appeared 
loath  to  go,  Zashue  turned  to  him  again,  commanding  in  a 
very  angry  tone,  — 

"  Go  home  !     Go  home  at  once  I " 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS  89 

Shyuote  left  in  haste;  he  felt  very  much  like  crying. 
Hayoue  said  to  his  brother, — 

"Didn't  I  tell  you  that  Shyuote  was  lazy?  Okoya  is 
far,  far  more  useful." 

"Let  me  alone  about  Okoya,"  growled  Zashue ;  and  both 
went  on  with  the  work  as  before. 

Shyuote  stumbled  across  the  patches  of  corn,  rather 
than  walked  through  them.  He  felt  sad,  dejected,  and  very 
wrathful.  All  the  buoyancy  with  which  his  victory  over  the 
girls  had  inspired  him  was  gone.  Since  that  heroic  feat 
nothing  but  ill- luck  had  crossed  his  path.  He  was  angry  at 
his  father  for  scolding  him  and  driving  him  home,  in  the 
presence  of  Hayoue,  for  whom  the  boy  had  as  great  a  dis 
like  as  his  uncle  had  for  him.  Why,  it  was  worse  than  the 
threats  and  cuffs  of  the  old  Naua !  It  was  not  only  an 
injustice,  it  was  an  insult !  So  the  lad  reasoned,  and  began 
to  brood  over  vengeance.  He  was  going  to  show  his  father 
that  he,  the  ten-year-old  boy,  was  not  to  be  trifled  with. 
Yes,  he  would  show  his  teeth  by  refusing  to  become  a 
Koshare.  Would  not  that  be  a  glorious  revenge  !  The 
little  fellow  did  not  know  that  he  was  pledged  to  the 
Delight  Makers  by  a  sacred  vow  of  his  parent  which  it 
was  not  in  his  power  to  break.  After  a  while  his  thoughts 
changed,  and  he  concluded  that  it  might  be  better  to  say 
nothing  and  to  go  home  and  ask  for  something  to  eat.  But 
never,  never  again  would  he  favour  his  father  with  a 
friendly  call  in  the  corn-patch.  This  latter  resolve  ap 
peared  to  him  so  satisfactory,  the  revenge  so  ample  for  the 
injury  received,  that  he  forgot  the  past  and  fairly  danced 
through  the  fields,  hopping  sometimes  on  one  foot  and  some 
times  on  the  other.  He  crossed  the  brook  and  reached  the 
large  house  almost  to  his  own  surprise. 

It  was  noon,  and  the  full  blaze  of  the  sun  flooded  the 
valley  with  light.  Not  a  breeze  fanned  the  air.  nothing 


90  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

stirred.  No  vibrations  troubled  the  picture  which  the  cliffs, 
the  caves,  the  buildings,  presented  in  the  dazzling  glare. 
The  cliffs  had  lost  their  yellowish  hue  and  appeared  white, 
with  every  protuberance,  every  indentation,  or  cavity, 
marked  by  intense  shadows.  The  houses  inhabited  by 
the  Eagle  clan  along  the  foot  of  the  rocks  were  like  a  row  of 
irregularly  piled  cubes  and  prisms;  each  beam  leaning 
against  them  cast  a  jet-black  streak  of  shadow  on  the 
ground.  Below  the  projecting  beams  of  the  roofs  a  short 
black  line  descended  along  the  wall,  and  the  towering 
rocks  jutted  in  and  out  from  dark  recesses  like  monsters. 
So  strong  were  the  contrasts  between  shadow  and  light 
that  even  Shyuote  was  struck  by  it.  He  stood  still  and 
stared. 

Something  indefinite,  a  vague  feeling  of  awe,  crept  over 
him.  For  the  real  grandeur  of  the  scenery  he  had  no  sense 
of  appreciation,  and  yet  it  seemed  to  him  as  if  everything 
about  were  new  and  strange.  Thousands  of  times  had  he 
gazed  at  the  cliffs  of  his  valley  home,  but  never  had  they 
appeared  to  him  as  they  did  now.  So  strong  was  this 
impression,  and  so  sudden,  too,  that  he  shrank  from  the 
sight  in  amazement ;  then  he  turned  his  eyes  away  and 
walked  rapidly  toward  home.  He  was  afraid  to  look  at  the 
colossal  pillars  and  walls ;  they  appeared  to  him  like  giants 
threatening  to  move.  All  his  plans  for  revenge,  every 
thought  of  wrath  and  indignation,  had  vanished. 

Suddenly  his  left  knee  was  struck  by  a  stone  hurled  with 
such  force  that  Shyuote  bounded  and  screamed.  At  the 
same  time  six  or  seven  boys,  some  apparently  of  his  age 
while  others  were  taller  and  older,  rushed  from  the  bushes 
skirting  the  ditch.  Two  of  them  ran  directly  in  front  of 
him.  They  were  armed  with  sticks  and  short  clubs,  and 
the  largest,  who  seemed  to  be  of  the  same  age  as  Okoya, 
shouted,  — 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  pi 

"  You  have  injured  Sayap,  and  caused  her  blood  to  flow. 
You  rotten  squash,  you  shall  suffer  for  it." 

Shyuote  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance.  He  saw  that 
only  desperate  running  would  save  him  from  being  roughly 
handled.  He  darted  off  like  an  arrow  toward  the  cave- 
dwellings  in  front  of  him.  Unfortunately  these  were  the 
quarters  of  the  Corn  people  who  had  not  yet  moved  into 
their  new  homes.  To  them  belonged  Sayap  and  the  boys 
that  were  assailing  Shyuote ;  and  as  the  fugitive  approached 
the  slope,  he  saw  it  occupied  by  other  youth  ready  and 
eager  to  give  him  a  warm  reception.  At  the  same  time  the 
tallest  of  his  pursuers  was  gaining  on  him  rapidly ;  rocks 
flew  past  his  head ;  a  stone  struck  him  between  the  ribs, 
stopping  his  breath  almost.  In  despair  he  turned  to  the 
left,  and  making  a  last  effort  flew  towards  the  houses  of  the 
Eagle  clan.  Panting,  blinded  by  exertion  and  by  pain,  he 
reached  one  of  the  beams  leading  to  a  roof,  rushed  upward 
along  it,  and  was  about  to  take  refuge  in  the  room  below, 
when  a  young  girl  came  up  the  primitive  ladder  down  which 
he  had  intended  to  precipitate  himself.  Issuing  from  the 
hatchway  she  quietly  pushed  the  lad  to  one  side  ;  then,  as 
in  that  moment  one  of  his  pursuers  appeared  on  the  roof, 
she  stepped  between  him  and  Shyuote. 

"  Get  out  of  the  way,  Mitsha !  Let  me  get  at  the 
wren  ! "  cried  the  youth  who  had  just  climbed  the  roof. 
Shyuote  fled  to  the  very  wall  of  the  rock;  he  gave  up 
all  hope  and  thought  himself  lost.  But  the  girl  quietly 
asked,  — 

"What  do  you  want  with  the  boy? " 

"  He  has  hurt  Sayap,  our  sister,"  the  tall  youngster  an 
swered.  "  He  threw  a  stone  at  her  and  caused  her  to 
bleed.  Now  I  am  going  to  pay  him  for  it." 

"  So  will  I !  "   shouted  another  one  from  below. 

"  I  too  !  "     "  And  I !  "     "  He  shall  get  it  from  all  of 


92  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

us  .' "  yelled  a  number  of  youthful  voices,  and  in  an  instant 
the  roof  was  crowded  with  boys. 

Mitsha  had  placed  herself  so  as  to  shield  the  trembling 
lad  with  her  own  body.  Very  quietly  she  said, — 

"Don't  you  see  that  he  also  is  bleeding?  Let  him  go 
now,  it  is  enough."  A  stone  had  indeed  grazed  Shyuote's 
scalp,  and  blood  was  trickling  down  his  cheek. 

"  It  is  not  enough  !  "  shouted  one  of  the  older  boys,  an 
grily.  "  Get  out  of  the  way,  Mitsha  !  " 

"  You  shall  not  hurt  him  on  this  roof,"  replied  Mitsha,  in 
a  calm  but  very  positive  tone. 

"Do  you  intend  to  protect  him?"  cried  the  tallest  one 
of  the  pursuers,  and  another  one  exclaimed,  — 

"  How  does  it  concern  you?  You  have  nothing  to  do 
here."  All  turned  against  the  girl.  A  little  fellow,  who 
carried  several  large  pebbles  in  his  hand  for  the  occasion, 
endeavoured  to  steal  a  march  around  Mitsha  in  order  to 
reach  Shyuote ;  but  she  noticed  it,  and  grasped  his  arm  and 
pulled  him  back  so  vigourously  that  he  reeled  and  fell  at 
full  length  on  the  roof.  Then  she  ordered  them  all  to 
leave  forthwith. 

"You  belong  to  the  Corn  clan,"  she  said,  "and  have 
nothing  to  do  here  on  the  houses  of  the  Eagle  clan.  Go 
down  !  Get  away  at  once  or  I  will  call  our  men.  As  long 
as  I  am  here  you  shall  not  touch  the  uak." 

"  So  you  take  his  part  ?  "  cried  the  biggest  one  of  the 
invaders.  He  raised  a  stick  to  strike  her. 

"  Lay  down  your  club,  you  dirty  ear  of  corn,"  replied  the 
maiden,  "  or  you  will  fare  badly."  With  this  she  dre\V 
from  under  her  wrap  a  heavy  war-club;  it  was  the  same 
weapon  which  Tyope  had  used  the  night  previous. 

The  boy's  arm  remained  uplifted,  but  still  the  attitude  of 
the  girl,  her  threatening  look  and  resolute  appearance. 
Checked  the  assailants.  Mitsha  stood  with  apparent  conv 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  93 

posure,  but  her  eyes  sparkled  and  the  expression  of  her 
face  denoted  the  utmost  determination.  Besides  she  was 
fully  as  tall  as  most  of  her  opponents,  and  the  weapon  she 
was  holding  in  readiness  looked  quite  formidable.  But  the 
superior  number  of  her  assailants  exercised  a  certain  pres 
sure  on  these  assailants  themselves,  and  the  Indian  under 
such  circumstances  has  no  thought  of  chivalrous  feeling. 
A  dozen  boys  stood  before  the  solitary  maiden  on  the  roof, 
and  they  were  not  to  be  intimidated  by  her.  For  an  in 
stant  only  neither  said  a  word;  then  a  threatening  mur 
mur  arose.  One  of  the  lads  called  out  to  the  tallest  of  the 
crowd,  — 

"  Strike  her  down,  Shohona  !  " 

A  stone  was  thrown  at  her  but  missed  its  aim.  At  this 
moment  the  boys  nearest  the  brink  of  the  roof  were  sud 
denly  thrust  aside  right  and  left,  the  one  who  had  threatened 
Mitsha  with  his  stick  was  pulled  back  and  jerked  to  one 
side  violently,  and  before  the  astonished  girl  stood  Okoya. 
Pale  with  emotion,  breathless,  with  heaving  chest,  and  quiv 
ering  from  excitement,  he  gasped  to  her,  — 

"  Go  down  into  the  room ;  I  will  protect  my  brother." 
Then  he  turned  to  face  the  assailants. 

The  scene  on  the  roof  had  attracted  a  large  number  of 
spectators,  who  had  gathered  below  and  were  exchanging 
surmises  and  advice  on  the  merits  of  a  case  about  which 
none  of  them  really  knew  anything.  Now  a  woman's  voice 
rose  from  amid  this  gaping  and  chattering  crowd,  —  the 
sharp  and  screechy  voice  of  an  angry  woman.  She  shouted 
to  those  who  were  on  the  roof,  — 

"  Get  down  from  my  house  !  Get  down,  you  scoundrels  ! 
If  you  want  to  kill  each  other  do  it  elsewhere,  and  not  on 
my  home  !  "  With  this  the  woman  climbed  on  to  the 
roof.  She  seized  the  boy  nearest  to  her  by  the  hair  and 
pulled  him  fairly  to  the  ground,  so  that  the  poor  fellow 


94  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

howled  from  pain.  With  the  other  hand  she  dealt  blows 
and  cuffs,  and  scratched  and  punched  indiscriminately 
among  the  youngsters,  so  that  a  sudden  panic  broke  out 
among  these  would-be  heroes.  Each  sought  to  get  out  of 
her  reach  with  the  greatest  alacrity.  She  at  last  released 
her  hold  on  the  first  victim  and  reached  out  for  another ;  but 
the  last  of  the  young  Corn  people  was  just  tumbling  down 
from  the  roof,  and  her  clutch  at  his  leg  came  too  late.  In 
an  instant  the  roof  was  cleared.  The  young  braves  from 
the  Maize  clan  were  ungraciously  received  below.  A  num 
ber  of  their  parents  had  assembled,  and  when  the  woman 
began  to  expostulate,  they  looked  at  the  matter  from  her 
point  of  view.  They  saw  that  it  was  an  infringement,  a 
trespass,  upon  the  territory  and  rights  of  another  clan,  and 
treated  their  pugnacious  sons  to  another  instalment  of 
bodily  punishment  as  fast  as  they  came  tumbling  from 
above.  The  final  result  for  the  incipient  warriors  of  the 
Corn  people  was  that  they  were  ignominiously  driven 
home. 

While  peace  was  thus  restored  upon  the  ground  it  still 
looked  quite  stormy  on  the  roof.  The  woman  who  had  so 
energetically  interfered  at  last  discovered  Okoya,  who  was 
looking  in  blank  amazement  at  this  sudden  change  of  af 
fairs.  Forthwith  she  made  a  vicious  grab  at  his  ebony 
locks,  with  the  pointed  remark,  — 

"  Down  with  you,  you  stinking  weed  !  " 

But  Mitsha  interfered. 

"  Mother,"  she  said  gently,  "  do  not  harm  him.  He  wa? 
defending  his  brother  and  me.  He  is  none  of  the  others." 

"  What !  "  the  woman  screamed,  "  was  it  you  whom  they 
were  about  to  strike,  these  night-owls  made  of  black  corn  ? 
You,  my  child  ?  Let  me  tell  them  again  what  they  are," 
and  she  ran  to  the  brink  of  the  roof,  raised  handfuls  of  dust 
from  it  and  hurled  them  in  the  direction  of  the  caves  of  the 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  9$ 

offenders.  She  stamped,  she  spat ;  she  raved,  and  heaped 
upon  the  heads  of  the  Corn  people,  their  ancestors,  and  their 
descendants,  every  invective  the  Queres  language  contains. 
To  those  below  this  appeared  decidedly  entertaining ;  the 
men  especially  enjoyed  the  performance,  but  Mitsha  felt 
sorry,  —  she  disliked  to  see  her  mother  display  such  frenzy  and 
to  hear  her  use  such  vulgar  language.  She  pulled  her  wrap, 
saying,  — 

"It  is  enough  now,  sanaya.  Don't  you  see  that  those 
who  wanted  to  hurt  me  are  gone?  Their  fathers  and 
mothers  are  not  guilty.  Be  quiet,  mother;  it  is  all  over 
now." 

Her  mother  at  last  yielded  to  these  gentle  remonstrances, 
turned  away  from  the  brink,  and  surveyed  the  roof.  She 
saw  Okoya  standing  before  weeping  Shyuote,  and  scolding 
him. 

"What  are  you  doing  to  this  child?"  asked  Mitsha's 
mother,  still  under  the  pressure  of  her  former  excitement. 
She  was  ready  for  another  fray. 

"  He  is  my  brother,  and  the  cause  of  the  whole  trouble," 
Okoya  explained  to  her.  "  I  chide  him  for  it,  as  it  is  my 
duty  to  do.  Nevertheless,  they  had  no  right  to  kill  him, 
still  less  to  hurt  the  girl." 

The  woman  had  at  last  had  time  to  scrutinize  the  looks  of 
the  young  man.  She  herself  was  not  old,  and  when  not 
under  the  influence  of  passion  was  rather  comely.  Okoya's 
handsome  figure  attracted  her  attention,  and  she  stepped 
nearer,  eyeing  him  closely. 

"  Where  do  you  belong?  "  she  inquired  in  a  quieter  tone. 

"  I  am  Tanyi." 

"Who  is  your  father?" 

"Zashue  Tihua." 

The  woman  smiled ;  she  moved  still  nearer  to  the  young 
tnan  and  continued, — . 


96  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

r"  "I  know  your  father  well.  He  is  one  of  us,  a  Koshare." 
Her  eyes  remained  fastened  on  his  features ;  she  was  mani 
festly  more  and  more  pleased  with  his  appearance.  But  at 
the  same  time  she  occasionally  glanced  toward  her  daugh 
ter  Mitsha,  and  it  struck  her  forcibly  that  Mitsha,  too,  was 
handsome. 

"I  know  who  you  are,"  she  said  smilingly.  "You  are 
Okoya  Tihua,  your  little  brother  is  called  Shyuote,  and  Say 
Koitza  is  your  mother's  name.  She  is  a  good  woman,  but " 
—  and  she  shrugged  her  shoulders  —  "  always  sick.  Have 
you  any  cotton?  "  she  suddenly  asked,  looking  squarely  into 
the  eyes  of  the  boy. 

"  No,"  he  replied,  and  his  features  coloured  visibly,  "  but 
I  have  some  handsome  skins." 

Mitsha  too  seemed  embarrassed ;  she  started  to  go  into 
the  room  below,  but  her  mother  called  her  back. 

"Sa  uishe,"  she  coaxed,  "won't  you  give  the  motatza 
something  to  eat?" 

The  faces  of  both  young  people  became  fiery  red.  He 
stood  like  a  statue,  and  yet  his  chest  heaved.  He  cast 
his  eyes  to  the  ground.  Mitsha  had  turned  her  face  away ; 
her  whole  body  was  trembling  like  a  leaf.  Her  mother 
persisted. 

"  Take  him  down  into  the  room  and  feed  him,"  she  re 
peated,  and  smiled. 

"  I  have  nothing,"  murmured  Mitsha. 

"  If  such  is  the  case  I  shall  go  and  see  myself."  With 
these  words  the  woman  descended  the  beam  into  the  room 
below,  leaving  the  two  alone  on  the  roof,  standing  motion 
less,  neither  daring  to  look  at  the  other. 

While  the  colloquy  between  Okoya  and  Mltsha's  mother 
was  going  on,  Shyuote  had  recovered  somewhat  from  his 
fright  and  grief  and  had  sneaked  off.  Once  on  the  ground  he 
walked  —  still  trembling  and  suspiciously  scanning  the  cliff 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  97 

wherein  the  Corn  people  had  their  abodes  —  as  straight  as 
possible  toward  the  big  house.  Nobody  interfered  with 
him ;  not  even  his  two  defenders  noticed  that  he  had  gone ; 
they  both  remained  standing  silent,  with  hearts  beating 
anxiously. 

"  Okoya,"  the  woman  called  from  below,  "  come  and  eat. 
Mitsha,  come  down  and  give  sa  uishe  something  to  eat." 

A  thrill  went  through  Okoya's  whole  frame.  She  had 
called  him  sa  uishe,  —  "  my  child."  He  ventured  to  cast  a 
furtive  glance  at  the  maiden.  Mitsha  had  recovered  her 
self-control;  she  returned  his  shy  glance  with  an  open, 
free,  but  sweet  look,  and  said, — 

"  Come  and  partake  of  the  food."  There  was  no  resist 
ing  an  invitation  from  her.  He  smiled ;  she  returned  the 
smile  in  a  timid  way,  as  shy  and  embarrassed  as  his  own. 

She  descended  first  and  Okoya  followed.  On  the  floor 
of  the  room,  the  same  chamber  where  Tyope  had  taken  rest 
the  night  before,  stood  the  usual  meal ;  and  Okoya  partook 
of  it  modestly,  said  his  prayer  of  thanks,  and  uttered  a  plain, 
sincere  hoya  at  the  end.  But  instead  of  rising,  as  he  would 
have  done  at  hcme,  he  remained  squatting,  glancing  at  the 
two  women. 

While  he  ate,  the  mother  watched  him  eagerly ;  her  cun 
ning  eyes  moved  from  his  face  toward  that  of  her  daughter 
like  sparks ;  and  gradually  an  expression  of  satisfaction  min 
gled  with  that  of  a  settled  resolve  appeared  on  her  features. 
There  was  no  doubt  that  the  two  would  be  a  handsome  pair. 
They  seemed,  as  the  vulgar  saying  goes,  made  for  each  other ; 
and  there  was  something  besides  that  told  that  they  were 
fond  of  each  other  also.  Okoya  had  never  before  entered 
this  dwelling ;  but  the  woman  thought  that  they  had  met 
before,  nay,  that  her  desire  had  been  anticipated,  inasmuch 
as  the  young  people  already  stood  to  each  other,  if  not  in 
an  intimate,  in  a  more  than  merely  friendly,  relation. 


98  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Why  do  you  never  come  to  see  us?  "  asked  the  woman, 
after  Okoya  had  finished  his  meal. 

"I  stay  at  the  estufa  during  the  night,"  was  the  modest  reply. 

"You  need  have  no  fear,"  she  answered  pleasantly, 
"Tyope  and  your  father  are  good  friends.  You  should 
become  a  Koshare  ! "  she  exclaimed. 

Okoya's  face  clouded ;  he  did  not  like  the  suggestion,  but 
nevertheless  asked,  — 

"Is  she,"  looking  at  Mitsha,  "a  Koshare  also?" 

"  No.  We  had  another  child,  a  boy.  He  was  to  have 
become  a  Delight  Maker,  but  he  died  some  time  ago." 
The  woman  had  it  on  her  lips  to  say,  "Do  you  become 
one  in  his  place  as  our  child,"  but  she  checked  herself  in 
time ;  it  would  have  been  too  bold  a  proposal. 

Okoya  glanced  at  the  daughter  and  said  timidly,  — 

"  If  you  like,  I  shall  come  again  to  see  you ; "  and 
Mitsha's  face  displayed  a  happy  smile  at  the  words,  while 
her  mother  eagerly  nodded. 

"  Come  as  often  as  you  can,"  she  replied.  "  We  "  —  em 
phasizing  the  word  strongly  —  "like  it.  It  is  well." 

"Then  I  will  go  now,"  said  Okoya,  rising.  His  face 
was  radiant.  "  I  must  go  home  lest  Shyuote  get  into  more 
trouble.  He  is  so  mischievous  and  awkward.  Good-bye." 
He  grasped  the  woman's  hand  and  breathed  on  it ;  gave  a 
smiling  look  to  the  girl,  who  nodded  at  him  with  a  happy 
face ;  and  returned  to  the  roof  again.  Thence  he  climbed 
down  to  the  ground.  How  happy  he  felt !  The  sun 
seemed  to  shine  twice  as  brightly  as  before ;  the  air  felt 
purer ;  all  around  him  breathed  life,  hope,  and  bliss.  At 
the  foot  of  the  slope  he  turned  back  once  more  to  gaze  at 
\he  house  where  so  much  joy  had  come  to  him.  A  pair 
uf  lustrous  eyes  appeared  in  the  little  air-hole  of  the  wall. 
They  were  those  of  the  maiden,  which  were  following  him 
an  his  homeward  wav. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  99 

Tyope's  wife  was  right  in  supposing  that  her  daughtei 
and  Okoya  were  not  strangers  to  each  other.  And  yet  not 
a  single  word  had  passed  between  them  before  beyond  a 
casual  greeting.  As  often  as  they  had  met  he  had  said 
"  guatzena,"  and  she  had  responded  with  "raua."  But  at 
every  meeting  his  voice  was  softer,  and  hers  more  timid 
and  trembling.  Each  felt  happy  at  the  sight  of  the  other, 
but  neither  thought  of  speaking,  still  less  of  making  any  ad 
vances.  Okoya  was  aware  of  the  fact  —  which  he  felt  deeply 
and  keenly  —  that  a  wide  breach,  a  seemingly  impassable 
chasm,  existed  between  him  and  the  girl.  That  gap  was 
the  relation  in  which  he  stood  toward  Tyope,  the  girl's 
father.  Or  rather  the  relation  in  which  he  fancied  himself 
to  stand  toward  him.  For  Tyope  had  hardly  ever  spoken 
to  him,  still  less  done  him  any  wrong.  But  Okoya's  mother 
had  spoken  of  Tyope  as  a  bad  man,  as  a  dangerous  man,  as 
one  whom  it  was  Okoya's  duty  to  avoid.  And  so  her  son 
feared  Tyope,  and  dared  not  think  of  the  bad  man'a 
daughter  as  his  future  companion  through  life.  Now  every 
thing  was  changed. 

Mitsha's  mother  had  said  that  Tyope  was  a  friend  of  his 
father,  and  that  Tyope  would  not  be  angry  if  Okoya  came 
to  her  house.  Then  he  was  not,  after  all,  the  fiend  that 
Say  Koitza  had  pictured  him.  On  the  contrary  he  ap 
peared  to  Okoya,  since  the  last  interview,  in  the  light  of  an 
important  personage.  Okoya's  faith  in  his  mother  was 
shaken  before ;  now  he  began  to  think  that  Tyope  after  all, 
while  he  was  certainly  to  him  an  important  man,  was  not  as 
bad  as  represented.  The  Koshare  also  appeared  to  him  in 
a  new  and  more  favourable  light.  The  adroit  suggestion 
made  by  the  woman  that  he  should  join  the  society  bore  its 
fruits.  Okoya  felt  not  only  relieved  but  happy;  he  felt 
elated  over  his  success.  He  was  well  trained  in  the  reli 
gious  discipline  of  the  Indians :  and  now  that  he  saw  hope 


100  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

before  him,  his  next  thought  was  one  of  gratitude  toward 
that  mother  of  all  who,  though  dwelling  at  the  bottom  of 
the  lagune  of  Shipapu  at  times,  and  then  again  in  the 
silvery  moon,  was  still  watching  over  the  destinies  of  her 
children  on  earth,  and  to  whose  loving  guidance  he  felt  his 
bright  prospects  due. 

He  had  no  prayer-plumes  with  him.  These  painted  sticks 
—  to  which  feathers  or  down  of  various  birds,  according  to 
the  nature  of  the  prayer  they  are  to  signify,  are  attached  — 
the  aborigine  deposits  wherever  and  whenever  he  feels  like 
addressing  himself  to  the  higher  powers,  be  it  for  a  request, 
in  adoration  only,  or  for  thanksgiving.  In  a  certain  way 
the  prayer-plume  or  plume-stick  is  a  substitute  for  prayer, 
inasmuch  as  he  who  has  not  time  may  deposit  it  hurriedly 
as  a  votive  offering.  The  paint  which  covers  the  piece  of 
stick  to  which  the  feather  is  attached  becomes  appropri 
ately  significant  through  its  colours,  the  feather  itself  is  the 
symbol  of  human  thought,  flitting  as  one  set  adrift  in  the 
air  toward  heaven,  where  dwell  Those  Above.  But  as  in 
the  present  instance,  the  Indian  has  not  always  a  prayer- 
plume  with  him.  So  he  has  recourse  to  an  expedient, 
simple  and  primitive. 

Two  little  sticks  or  twigs,  placed  crosswise  and  held  to 
their  place  by  a  rock  or  stone,  serve  the  same  purpose  in 
case  of  emergency.  Such  accumulations  of  rocks,  little 
stone-heaps,  are  plentiful  around  Indian  villages;  and  they 
represent  votive  offerings,  symbolizing  as  many  prayers. 
There  were  a  number  of  them  at  the  Rito  around  the  big 
house,  along  the  fields,  and  on  the  trails  leading  up  to  the 
mesa.  Okoya  went  to  the  nearest  one  and  placed  two  twigs 
crosswise  on  it,  poising  them  with  a  stone.  Then  he  scat 
tered  sacred  meal,  which  he  always  carried  with  him  in 
a  small  leather  wallet,  and  thanked  the  Sanashtyaya,  our 
mother,  with  an  earnest  ho-a-a,  ho-a-a. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  IOI 

Then  he  turned  homeward.  The  very  thought  of  that 
home,  however,  made  his  heart  heavy  and  sad.  For  more 
and  more  he  became  convinced  that  his  mother  was  false 
to  him.  The  assertion  made  by  Tyope's  wife  that  he  was 
welcome  in  her  house,  and  that  Tyope  would  not  object  to 
his  visiting  there,  worked  another  breach  in  the  faith  he 
was  wont  to  place  in  his  mother's  words.  Not  that  the 
invitation  to  join  the  Koshare  had  exercised  any  influence 
upon  his  opinion  regarding  that  society  of  men  and  wo 
men.  He  mistrusted,  he  hated,  he  feared  them  as  much  as 
ever,  but  toward  Tyope  personally  he  felt  differently.  His  \ 
thoughts  were  carried  back  to  the  gloomy  subject ;  one  by 
one  his  doubts  and  misgivings  returned  with  them,  and  a 
longing  after  some  friend  to  whom  he  might  communicate 
his  fears  and  whom  he  might  consult  with  absolute  confi 
dence.  As  he  was  thus  pondering  and  walking  on,  slowly 
and  more  slowly,  he  saw  at  some  distance  two  men  climb 
ing  up  toward  where  the  cave-dwellings  of  the  Water  clan 
lay.  One  of  them  was  his  father;  he  recognized  him  at 
once.  Who  was  his  companion  ?  He  stopped  and  looked, 
[t  was  his  father's  brother,  Hayoue  ;  and  with  this  it  seemed 
as  if  a  veil  had  suddenly  dropped  from  his  eyes.  The  tall, 
slender  young  man  yonder,  who  was  advancing  up  the 
declivity  at  such  an  easy  gait,  was  the  friend  upon  whom 
he  could  fully  rely,  the  adviser  who  would  not,  at  least 
purposely,  lead  him  astray.  Hayoue  was  but  a  few  years 
older  than  Okoya.  The  relations  between  the  two  were 
those  of  two  brothers  and  chums,  rather  than  those  of 
uncle  and  nephew.  Hayoue  was  not  a  member  of  his  clan, 
consequently  not  exposed  to  any  influence  which  his  mother, 
through  her  father,  Topanashka,  might  attempt  to  exert. 
Hayoue,  he  knew,  disliked  the  Koshare  as  much  as  he 
disliked  them  himself,  and  Hayoue  was  thoroughly  trust 
worthy  and  discreet,  though  very  outspoken  if  necessary, 


102  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

and  fearless.  Yes,  Hayoue  was  the  friend  in  need  he  so 
anxiously  desired  to  find,  and  now  that  he  had  found  him 
he  resolved  to  seize  upon  the  first  opportunity  of  consulting 
him  on  the  subject  that  so  seriously  troubled  his  mind.  He 
was  so  delighted  at  this  sudden  discovery,  as  it  might  be 
called,  that  he  attributed  it  to  an  inspiration  from  above, 
and  stood  for  a  moment  in  doubt  whether  he  should  not 
return  to  the  stone-heap  and  offer  another  prayer  of  thanks 
to  the  mother  above,  for  what  he  considered  to  have  been 
a  gift  of  her  goodness  to  him.  But  the  house  was  too  near, 
and  he  bethought  himself  of  Shyuote  and  what  the  mis 
chievous  urchin  might  have  done  since  he  had  left  him. 
He  entered  the  front  room  of  his  mother's  dwelling  with  a 
lighter  and  easier  mind  than  the  day  before,  and  what  he 
saw  at  once  diverted  his  thoughts  into  another  widely 
different  channel. 

Shyuote  sat  in  a  corner,  and  his  eyes  were  red  from  cry 
ing.  Beside  him  stood  Say,  agitated  and  angry.  Without 
giving  her  elder  son  time  to  speak,  she  asked,  — 

"  Who  sent  the  boy  to  the  fields?  " 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  Okoya,  in  astonishment.  He 
knew  nothing  of  Shyuote's  morning  rambles.  "  He  must 
know;  how  could  I  tell?" 

"  He  says  that  they  drove  him  from  the  corn  because  he 
threw  mud  at  a  girl,"  added  the  mother. 

"  That  is  quite  likely,"  rejoined  his  elder  brother.  "  That 
is  why  the  lads  of  the  Corn  clan  intended  to  beat  him,  I 
presume." 

"  Why  did  you  not  stay  with  your  father  ?  "  cried  Say. 

"  Because,"  —  he  held  his  arm  up  to  his  eyes  and  com 
menced  to  sob,  —  "  because  my  father  drove  me  off." 

"Why  did  he  drive  you  away? " 

"  Because  —  "  He  stopped,  then  raised  his  head  as  if  3 
sudden  and  wicked  though  i:  had  flashed  across  his  mind. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  103 

His  eyes  sparkled.  "  I  dare  not  tell."  He  cast  his  eyes  to 
the  ground,  and  a  bitter  smile  passed  over  his  lips. 

"Why  dare  you  not  tell?"  both  Say  and  Okoya  in 
quired.  "  Has  sa  nashtio  told  you  not  to  say  anything 
about  it?" 

"  Not  he,  but  the  Koshare  Naua."  It  was  like  an  explo 
sion.  Say  Koitza  felt  a  terrible  pang ;  she  stared  vacantly 
at  the  wicked  lad  for  a  moment,  and  then  turned  and  went 
into  the  kitchen.  Shyuote  wept  aloud  ;  his  brother  looked 
down  upon  him  with  an  expression  of  mingled  compassion 
and  curiosity. 

The  doorway  was  suddenly  darkened  by  a  human  form, 
and  with  the  usual  guatzena  the  grandfather,  Topanashka, 
entered  the  apartment.  Okoya  stood  up  quickly  and 
replied,  — 

"  Raua  opona." 

"What  is  the  boy  crying  for?"  inquired  the  old  man. 

"The  Corn  people  tried  to  hurt  him  because  he  threw 
something  at  one  of  their  girls,"  Okoya  explained. 

"  Is  that  all  ?  I  heard  scolding  and  crying  going  on 
here,  and  so  I  thought  I  would  come  and  see  what  was 
the  matter.  Where  is  your  yaya?" 

Say,  when  she  heard  her  father's  voice,  came  out  and 
leaned  against  the  entrance  to  the  kitchen.  Her  face  was 
convulsed,  her  eyes  glassy.  Topanashka  scanned  her  fea 
tures  quietly  and  then  said  in  a  cold  tone, — 

"  Guatzena." 

She  understood  the  meaning  of  his  cold,  searching  gaze, 
and  gathered  all  her  strength  to  meet  it  with  composure. 

"  Shyuote  cries  also,"  she  said,  "  because  his  father  sent 
him  home  from  the  fields." 

"  Why  did  Zashue  do  that  ?  " 

"This  he  dare  not  tell,  for  the  Koshare  Naua"  —  hei 
voice  trembled  at  the  mention  of  the  name  — "  forbade 


104  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

him  to  say  anything  about  it."     Her  eyes  clung  to  the 
features  of  her  father.      Topanashka  turned  away  slowly 
and  quietly,  and  she  followed  him  to  the  door.     As  he 
was  crossing  the  threshold  he  whispered  to  her,  — - 
"  There  is  nothing  new  as  yet." 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  people  of  the  Water  clan  dwelt  at  the  western  end  of 
the  cliffs  which  border  the  Tyuonyi  on  the  north.  They 
occupied  some  twenty  caves  scooped  out  along  the  base  of 
the  rock,  and  an  upper  tier  of  a  dozen  more,  separated  from 
the  lower  by  a  thickness  of  rock  averaging  not  over  three 
feet.  This  group  of  cave-dwellings  —  and  vestiges  thereof 
are  still  visible  at  this  day  —  lay  in  a  re-entering  angle 
formed  by  the  cliffs,  which  overhang  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  form  a  sheltered  nook  open  to  the  south.  Ascent  to 
their  base  is  quite  steep,  and  great  heaps  of  debris  cover 
the  slope.  The  gorge  is  narrow,  a  dense  thicket  inter 
spersed  with  pine-trees  lines  the  course  of  the  brook,  and 
the  declivity  forming  the  southern  border  of  the  Rito  ap 
proaches  the  bottom  in  rocky  steps,  traversed  laterally  by 
ledges  overgrown  with  scrubby  vegetation. 

Vestiges  of  former  occupancy  are  still  scattered  about 
the  caves.  Some  of  these  furnish  a  clew  to  the  manner  in 
which  the  dwellings  were  formed  by  scraping  and  burrow 
ing.  Splinters  of  obsidian  and  of  basalt  —  sharp  fragments, 
resembling  clumsy  chisels  or  knives  —  served  to  dig  an  ob 
long  hole  in  the  soft  pumice  or  tufa  of  the  cliff.  After  this 
narrow  cavity  had  penetrated  a  depth  of  one  or  two  feet, 
the  artisan  began  to  enlarge  it  inside,  until  a  room  was 
formed  for  which  the  tunnelled  entrance  served  as  a  door 
way.  The  room,  or  cell,  was  gradually  finished  in  a  quadran 
gular  or  polygonal  shape,  with  a  ceiling  hieh  enough  to 


106  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

permit  a  person  of  average  size  to  stand  erect.  Not  unfre- 
quently  side  rooms  were  excavated  connecting  with  the  first 
by  low  apertures,  to  pass  through  which  it  was  necessary  to 
stoop,  or  even  to  creep  on  all  fours.  These  passages  were 
too  low  for  doorways,  too  short  to  deserve  the  name  of  tun 
nels.  Into  the  front  apartment  light  and  air  were  admitted 
through  the  entrance,  and  sometimes  through  small  window- 
like  apertures.  The  side  cells  were  utterly  dark  except 
where  excavated  parallel  to  the  face  of  the  rock,  when 
sometimes  another  entrance  was  opened  to  the  front, 
sometimes  an  air-hole  only  admitted  light  and  air. 

If  on  the  afternoon  of  the  day  when  Shyuote  had  his 
perilous  adventure  with  the  young  people  of  the  Corn  clan, 
we  had  been  able  to  peep  into  the  third  one  of  the  ground- 
floor  caves,  counting  from  the  west  end  of  the  group  in 
habited  by  the  Water  people,  we  should  have  found  the 
apartment  empty ;  that  is,  as  far  as  human  occupancy  was 
concerned.  But  not  deserted ;  for  while  its  owner  was  not 
there,  ample  signs  of  his  presence  only  a  short  time  before 
could  be  detected  everywhere.  In  the  fireplace  wood  was 
smouldering,  and  a  faint  smoke  rising  from  this  found 
egress  through  a  crude  chimney.  This  was  built  over  the 
hearth,  with  two  vertical  side  slabs  of  pumice  supporting  a 
perforated  square  flag,  over  which  a  primitive  flue,  made  of 
rubble  cemented  by  mud,  led  to  a  circular  opening  in  the 
front  wall  of  the  cave.  In  a  corner  stood  the  frame  for  the 
grinding- slabs,  or  me  fates,  and  in  it  the  three  plates  of  lava 
on  which  the  Indian  crushes  and  pulverizes  his  maize  were 
placed  in  the  convenient  slanting  position.  Not  only  the 
prismatic  crushing-pins,  but  freshly  ground  meal  also,  lay  ii? 
the  stone  casings  of  the  primitive  mill,  and  on  these  the 
plates  themselves.  Deerskins  and  cotton  wraps  were  rolled 
in  a  bundle  in  another  corner.  Others  hung  on  a  line  made 
of  rawhide  and  stretched  across  one  end  of  the  room,  fast 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  107 

ened  to  wooden  pins  driven  into  the  soft  rock.  On  the 
floor  —  to  which  a  thick  coating  of  mud,  washed  with  blood 
and  smoothed,  gave  a  black,  glossy  appearance  —  there  were 
beside,  here  a  few  stone  axes  with  handles,  there  some  black 
sooty  pots,  painted  bowls,  and  finally  the  inevitable  water- 
urn  with  wide  body  and  narrow  top,  decorated  in  the  usual 
style  with  geometrical  and  symbolical  figures  painted  in  red 
and  black  on  whitish  ground.  The  walls  of  the  cave  were 
burnished  with  burnt  gypsum  ;  the  ceiling  was  covered  by  a 
thick  coat  of  soot ;  and  a  band  of  yellow  ochre,  like  wain 
scoting,  ran  along  the  base  of  the  sides. 

The  owner  of  this  troglodytic  home,  however,  is  not  to 
be  seen ;  but  in  a  side  chamber,  which  communicates  with 
this  apartment  through  one  of  the  dark  and  low  passages 
just  described,  a  rustling  sound  is  heard,  as  of  some  one 
rummaging  about  in  darkness.  After  a  while  a  woman's 
head  peeps  through  the  passage  into  the  outer  room,  and 
little  by  little  the  whole  body  emerges,  forcing  itself  through 
the  narrow  opening.  She  rises  and  stands  erect  in  front  of 
the  hearth,  and  the  sunbeam  which  still  enters  the  apart 
ment  by  the  round  hole  above  the  fireplace  strikes  her 
features  full  and  enables  us  to  scan  them.  The  woman 
into  whose  dwelling  we  have  pryed,  and  who  stands  now  in 
the  dim  chamber  as  sole  occupant  and  owner,  is  Shotaye, 
Tyope's  former  wife,  and  the  friend  who  has  given  Say 
Koitza  such  ill  advice. 

If  Shotaye  be  a  witch,  she  certainly  is  far  from  display 
ing  the  hag- like  appearance  often  attributed  to  the  female 
sorcerer.  There  is  even  something  decidedly  fascinating 
about  her.  Shotaye,  although  near  the  forties,  is  for  an 
Indian  woman  undoubtedly  good-looking.  No  wonder 
some  other  women  of  the  tribe  are  afraid  of  her.  She  is 
tall  and  well  rounded,  and  her  chest  is  of  that  fulness  that 
develops  at  an  early  age  in  the  women  of  the  Pueblos. 


108  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Her  face  is  even  pretty,  —  her  lips  are  pouting  and  sensual, 
the  nose  small  and  shaped  like  a  short,  pointed  beak,  the 
cheek-bones  high,  while  the  chin  indicates  remarkable  de 
termination.  Magnificent  black  hair  streams  down  her 
back.  It  is  as  full  as  a  wave,  as  lustrous  as  polished 
obsidian. 

Her  dress  consists  of  a  buckskin  wrap  without  girdle, 
embroidered  at  the  lower  end  with  multi-coloured  porcupine- 
quills.  Bracelets  of  white  shells,  a  necklace  of  feldspar 
crystals  and  turquoises,  and  strings  of  yellow  cotton  threads 
around  her  ankles  complete  the  costume.  Such  is  the 
woman  who  has  played  and  still  plays  an  ominous  part  in 
the  history  of  Okoya's  mother,  and  in  the  history  of  the 
people  at  the  Rito  de  los  Frijoles.  Now  that  we  have  seen 
her  home  and  her  person,  let  us  proceed  with  the  tale  of 
her  doings  on  the  afternoon  to  which  the  close  of  the 
preceding  chapter  has  been  devoted. 

Shotaye  had  been  rummaging  about  in  the  inner  cell  of 
her  rocky  house  in  search  of  some  medicinal  plant,  for  that 
cell  was  her  storeroom,  laboratory,  and  workshop.  But  as 
the  room  was  without  light  at  all,  she  had  entered  it  with  a 
lighted  stick  in  her  hand ;  and  just  as  she  had  begun  her 
search  the  flame  had  died  out.  So  after  a  vain  attempt  by 
groping  in  darkness,  she  crawled  back  to  the  exterior  apart 
ment  and  knelt  down  in  front  of  the  hearth  to  fan  the  coals 
with  her  breath  and  thus  obtain  another  torch  for  her 
explorations.  At  that  moment  the  deerskin  robe  closing 
the  entrance  to  her  grotto  was  timidly  lifted,  and  a  feeble 
voice  called  the  usual  greeting.  "  Opona,"  replied  Shotaye, 
turning  toward  the  doorway.  A  lithe  figure  crept  into  the 
cave.  When  near  the  fireplace  it  stood  still,  enabling  the 
mistress  of  the  dwelling  to  recognize  the  features  of  Say, 
her  friend  and  now  fully  recovered  patient. 

But  how  different  was  Say's  appearance  from  what  it 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  1 09 

was  when  Shotaye  a  few  days  ago  saw  her  last?  How 
changed,  —  how  thin  and  wan  her  cheeks,  how  sunken  her 
eyes,  how  sallow  and  sickly  her  complexion  !  Her  face 
seemed  to  bear  the  seal  of  approaching  death,  for  the  eyes 
stared  expressionless,  the  mouth  twitched  without  speaking. 
But  one  thought  seized  Shotaye,  that  her  friend  must  be 
ill,  very,  very  ill,  —  that  the  old  disease  had  returned  in 
full  force  and  had  clutched  her  anew  with  perhaps  irresist 
ible  power.  Anxiously  she  rose  to  her  feet,  and  scanned 
the  face  of  the  invalid. 

"  What  ails  you,  my  sister,"  she  inquired  tenderly.  "  Has 
disease  come  on  you  again  ?  Speak,  sa  uishe,  speak  to  me 
that  I  may  know." 

Her  visitor  only  shook  her  head  and  glanced  about  as  if 
seeking  a  place  to  rest  herself.  The  medicine-woman 
gathered  hurriedly  a  few  robes,  folded  them  so  as  to  make 
a  cushion  near  the  hearth,  and  then  gently  urged  Say  to  sit 
down  on  this  soft  and  easy  seat.  She  yielded,  and  then 
remained  motionless,  her  glassy  eyes  staring  vacantly  at 
the  floor. 

"Sister,"  Shotaye  reiterated,  "sister,  what  ails  you? 
Speak,  and  I  will  do  all  I  can  for  you."  But  the  other 
merely  shook  her  head  and  began  to  shiver.  Shotaye  no 
ticed  the  wristbands  of  red  leather  on  her  arms,  and  it 
startled  her.  She  asked  eagerly, — 

"Why  do  you  wear  in  trouble  the  colour  that  should 
make  our  hearts  glad?  What  has  happened  to  you  that 
causes  you  to  seek  relief  for  your  distress  ?  "  The  tone  of 
her  voice  sounded  no  longer  like  entreaty ;  it  was  an  anxious, 
nay  stern,  command.  Okoya's  mother  raised  her  eyes  with 
an  expression  of  intense  misery ;  she  threw  toward  her  ques 
tioner  a  look  imploring  relief  and  protection,  and  finally 
gasped, — 

"They  know  everything  !  "     Then  her  head  dropped  or 


HO  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

her  knees,  she  grasped  her  hair,  covered  her  face  and  chest 
Kith  it,  and  broke  out  in  convulsive  sobs. 

"  They  know  everything  !  "  Shotaye  repeated,  "  Who 
know  everything?"  Suddenly  the  truth  seemed  to  flash 
Upon  her  mind. 

"  What,  the  Koshare  ?  "  she  cried  in  terror. 

Convulsive  sobs  and  groans  were  the  only  reply  to  her 
sxclamation.  They  amply  confirmed  her  worst  apprehen 
sions.  "The  Koshare  know  all."  Unconsciously  the  cave- 
dweller  uttered  these  words  while  staring  into  the  remnant 
ol  gleaming  coals  on  the  hearth ;  then  she  became  silent. 
Neither  could  Say  Koitza  utter  a  word ;  only  from  time  to 
time  her  spasmodic  sobs  broke  the  stillness  of  the  room. 
The  bright  disk  which  the  light  from  the  outside  painted 
on  the  wall  opposite  was  fading  little  by  little,  a  sign  of 
approaching  sunset. 

Shotaye's  features  displayed  few  signs  of  the  terror  which 
her  friend's  disclosures  had  produced.  Soon  her  face  be 
tokened  that  fear  could  not  retain  its  hold  long  on  her 
resolute  mind,  that  intense  reflection  had  superseded  dis 
may.  She  turned  to  her  visitor  and  asked,  — 

"  Tell  me,  sister,  how  you  came  to  know  that  the  De 
light  Makers  are  acquainted  with  your  doings?  Tell  me, 
and  do  not  weep."  And  as  Say  remained  silent  and  im 
movable  she  crouched  beside  her,  removed  her  hair  gently 
from  her  face,  then  raised  her  head  and  placed  it  so  as  to 
rest  on  her  bosom.  Then  she  looked  deep  into  the  eyes 
of  the  poor  woman.  They  were  glassy  and  almost  lifeless. 
While  thus  gazing  intently  at  Say,  Shotaye's  features 
changed  and  became  sad  and  dejected. 

It  was  for  a  moment  only.  Soon  the  expression  of  hope 
lessness  vanished  and  the  lines  of  her  face  became  resolute, 
hard,  and  determined.  Surprise  had  yielded  to  reflection, 
reflection  to  pity  and  remorse.  Now  remorse  in  turn  gave 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  Ill 

way  to  determination.  Shotaye  felt  that  she,  much  rather 
than  her  friend,  was  lost,  irretrievably  lost ;  but  her  energetic 
nature  demanded  that  she  should  see  the  situation  clearly. 
Although  the  spasmodic  hints  of  Say,  her  broken  words, 
spoke  enough,  she  wanted  more.  Her  mind  craved  the 
full  truth,  however  terrible  it  might  prove. 

Say  Koitza  had  slowly  recovered  from  her  stupor.  She 
became  quieter  and  quieter.  In  the  arms  of  her  resolute 
and  sympathizing  friend  consciousness  returned ;  she  sobbed 
no  more,  and  from  time  to  time  would  raise  her  eyes  with  a 
look  that  besought  pity,  mercy,  and  assistance.  The  medi 
cine-woman  eagerly  watched  these  changes  and  repeated 
her  previous  query. 

"  How  do  you  know  that  the  Koshare  are  aware  of  it  ?  " 
"  Sa  nashtio  told  me,"  moaned  the  poor  woman. 
Shotaye    sighed.     This    was    bad    news    indeed.      She 
muttered,  — 

"  This  is  bad,  very  bad.     If  the  maseua  knows  it,  then 
the  tapop  will  not  be  long  without  notice." 
"  The  tapop  knows  nothing,"  breathed  Say. 
"  But   how  can   the  maseua  have   been  informed  with 
out   the  knowledge  of  the  other?"    Shotaye   asked   with 
surprise. 

"  He  is  my  father,"  replied  Say,  and  wept  aloud.  "  He 
is  my  father,  and  yet "  —  she  started  to  rise  and  grasped 
her  hair  with  both  hands,  screaming  —  "  he  has  to  kill  me 
with  his  own  hands  !  " 

So  loud  and  piercing  was  her  shriek  that  Shotaye  was 
seized  with  sudden  fright.  Rising  quickly,  she  ran  to  the 
doorway  and  peeped  outside  to  see  if  the  scream  had  at 
tracted  attention.  But  there  appeared  to  be  nobody  about, 
except  a  few  children  who  were  playing  and  romping  in 
front  of  the  caves  and  whose  cries  had  drowned  the  shriek. 
Reassured  she  returned  to  Say,  who  was  lying  with  her  face 


112  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

on  the  floor,  tearing  her  hair  and  uttering  low  convulsive 
groans.  Shotaye  grew  frightened,  and  brought  water  in  a 
gourd.  She  moistened  her  forehead  and  hands  with  the 
liquid,  rubbed  her  face,  and  thus  finally  brought  her  back 
to  some  composure.  After  drinking  some  water  Say  sat 
on  the  robes  again,  shivering  and  gasping.  Her  mind 
seemed  entirely  gone,  the  expression  of  her  features  was 
akin  to  idiocy.  The  room  had  grown  darker,  night  was 
approaching. 

As  soon  as  she  appeared  to  be  quiet,  Shotaye  felt 
tempted  to  resume  her  questionings.  But  she  bethought 
herself  of  the  late  hour,  and  of  the  suspicion  which  might 
arise  in  case  Say  Koitza  should  not  be  home  in  time. 
Still,  she  must  ask  some  questions ;  her  positive  mind  re 
quired  some  additional  knowledge  which  must  be  gained 
ere  she  could  afford  to  let  her  visitor  return  home.  Shotaye 
returned  to  the  entrance,  looked  stealthily  outside,  and 
listened.  Dusk  had  set  in,  and  the  bottom  of  the  gorge 
was  wrapped  in  twilight.  The  shrubbery  along  the  brook 
appeared  dim  and  pale,  the  lofty  pines  looked  like  black 
monuments.  On  the  southern  declivity  all  detail  had  van 
ished,  but  the  top  of  the  southern  mesa  glistened  yet  like  a 
golden  seam.  In  the  recess  formed  by  the  angle  of  the 
cliffs  which  contained  her  home,  the  usual  bustle  of  the 
evening  hours  prevailed ;  and  laughter,  merry  and  boisterous, 
issued  from  a  cave  opposite  that  where  Shotaye,  concealed 
by  folds  of  the  half-lifted  curtain,  stood  watching  with  eye 
and  ear.  In  those  caves  fronting  hers  dwelt  the  family  of 
Zashue,  Say's  husband.  Thence  sounded  the  merriment, 
and  the  woman  recognized  familiar  voices.  Surely  enough 
Hayoue  was  there ;  and  there  could  be  no  mistake,  that 
clear  good-natured  laugh  was  from  Zashue  himself.  Sho 
taye  dropped  the  curtain  and  turned  back  considerably 
relieved.  If  Zashue  was  at  his  mother's  and  brother's 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  113 

home,  she  reasoned,  he  would  not  return  to  the  big  house 
that  night ;  and  since  he  was  so  gay,  so  merry,  it  was  not 
likely  that  he  knew  anything  of  the  terrible  accusation 
against  his  wife  and  her.  If  that  were  the  case  there 
was  no  immediate  danger,  since  all  the  Koshare  were  not 
informed  of  the  matter.  Returning  to  the  hearth  she 
poked  the  embers,  placed  on  them  another  stick  of  pitchy 
wood,  and  fanned  it  with  her  breath  until  the  flames  burst 
forth,  lively  and  bright.  Until  then  Say  had  remained 
motionless  in  her  seat.  She  had  taken  no  notice  of  her 
friend's  movements ;  but  when  the  wood  flamed  and  a  warm 
glow  began  to  spread  over  the  apartment,  she  started  like 
one  whose  dreams  are  suddenly  disturbed  and  began  to 
speak. 

"  I  must  go,"  she  exclaimed  anxiously.  "  I  must  go 
home.  I  must  cook  for  Zashue  !  He  is  looking  for  me  ! 
I  must  go,"  and  she  attempted  to  rise. 

Shotaye  tried  to  quell  her  sudden  apprehension,  but  she 
kept  on  with  growing  excitement,  — 

"  I  must !  Let  me  go  !  Let  me  go  !  For  he  is  looking 
for  me." 

"  He  is  not,"  assured  the  other.  "  Be  quiet.  He  is 
yonder  with  his  people  in  the  cave.  There  he  sits  and 
there  he  will  stay  till  late." 

A  sudden  tremor  seized  the  body  of  Say.  Her  hands 
shook  like  aspen  leaves.  "Is  he  there?"  she  gasped. 
"Then  he  is  coming  after  me.  Is  he  not  a  Koshare?" 
Her  eyes  glistened  with  that  peculiar  glare  which  betokens 
aberration  of  the  mind. 

Any  ordinary  Indian  woman  would  have  concluded  from 
the  appearance  and  utterances  of  Say  that  she  was  hope 
lessly  insane,  and  would  either  have  resorted  to  incanta 
tions  or  left  her  in  terror.  Shotaye,  although  very  much 
frightened,  did  not  think  of  desertion,  but  only  of  relief. 

8 


114  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

With  keen  self-possession  she  said  in  a  decided  and  con 
vincing  tone,  — 

"  Fear  nothing,  sa  tao ;  he  will  not  come,  for  he  knows 
nothing." 

"Nothing?"  inquired  Say,  looking  at  her  with  the  shy 
and  sly  glance  of  a  doubting  maniac. 

"  Nothing  at  all !  "  Shotaye  exclaimed,  firmly.  She  had 
recovered  her  ascendency.  She  directed  her  glance,  com 
manding  and  convincing,  straight  at  the  wavering  gaze  of 
the  excited  woman,  whose  look  became  dim  and  finally 
meek.  Shotaye  took  advantage  of  the  change. 

"  Zashue  knows  nothing  at  all,"  she  asserted,  "  and  that 
is  very,  very  good ;  for  it  gives  us  hope." 

"  But  if  they  tell  him  !  "  and  the  anxious  look  came  back 
to  her  face. 

"  Let  them  tell,  if  they  choose,"  defiantly  exclaimed  the 
other ;  "  afterward  we  shall  see." 

Say  shook  her  head  in  doubt. 

"But  how  did  the  Koshare  come  to  know  about  it?1 
Shotaye  again  pressed  the  main  question. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  sighed  Say ;  and  she  again  stared  into 
the  fire,  and  her  face   quivered  suspiciously.     The  cave 
dweller  quickly  interjected,  — 

"What  do  the  Delight  Makers  really  know  about  us?" 

"They  know  —  they  know  that  I  spoke  to  the  dark- 
coloured  corn." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  No  —  yes  —  no.  They  know  more."  She  spoke  with 
greater  vivacity,  and  in  a  natural  tone  of  voice ;  "  they 
know  about  the  owl's  feathers,  too."  A  deep  sigh  followed 
this  reply,  and  tears  came  to  her  eyes.  Say  was  herself 
again. 

Shotaye  also  heaved  a  deep  sigh  of  relief.  Her  friend's 
mind  was  restored,  and  she  had  gained  the  much-desired 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  11$ 

information.  But  it  would  have  been  dangerous  to  proceed 
further  in  th;s  conversation,  lest  the  cloud  which  had  threat 
ened  Say's  mental  powers  should  return  and  settle  perma 
nently.  So,  after  a  short  silence,  she  turned  to  her  friend, 
and  said  in  a  positive  tone,  — 

"  Sister,  go  home  now  and  rest  easy.  Nothing  is  lost  as 
yet.  Go  home,  be  quiet,  and  attend  to  your  work  as  usual. 
I  shall  be  on  the  watch." 

"  But  the  Koshare  !  "  Say  anxiously  exclaimed. 

"  Leave  them  to  me,"  the  other  answered ;  and  so  pow 
erful  was  her  influence  on  the  timid  mind  of  her  visitor,  so 
unbounded  the  confidence  which  the  latter  had  in  her  abili 
ties  and  her  faithfulness,  that  Say  rose  without  a  word,  and 
like  an  obedient  child,  covering  her  head  with  one  corner 
of  her  wrap,  went  out  and  meekly  strolled  home.  It  was 
night,  and  nobody  noticed  her.  Okoya  was  already  at  the 
estufa;  Shyuote  and  the  little  girl  were  asleep.  Say  lay 
down  beside  her  sleeping  children  and  soon  sank  into  a 
heavy  slumber.  Her  body,  weak  from  over-strain,  com 
pelled  a  rest  which  the  mind  might  have  denied  to  her. 

In  her  dark  chamber  in  the  rock,  Shotaye  sat  alone 
before  the  fire  on  the  hearth.  It  began  to  flame  lustily, 
for  the  woman  fed  it  well.  She  wanted  the  glow,  first  in 
order  to  cook  her  food,  next  in  order  to  brighten  the 
room ;  for  with  the  dark  and  tangled  subject  on  her 
mind,  she  felt  the  need  of  light  and  warmth  as  her  com 
panions  in  musing.  When  the  flames  rustled  and  crackled, 
Shotaye  squatted  down  in  front  of  them,  folded  her  arms 
around  her  knees,  and  began  to  think. 

She  felt  far  from  being  as  reassured  about  the  outlook  as 
she  had  pretended  to  be  when  she  sent  Say  Koitza  home 
with  soothing  and  comforting  words.  But  the  preservation 
of  her  friend's  mental  powers  was  an  imperative  necessity. 
Had  Say  been  permitted  to  fall  a  prey  to  her  momentary 


Il6  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

excitement,  everything  would  have  been  lost  for  Shotaye. 
Had  Say's  mind  given  way  permanently,  the  cause  of  that 
calamity  would  have  been  attributed  to  her,  and  she  would 
have  been  charged  with  her  friend's  insanity  in  addition  to 
the  charge  of  witchcraft  already  being  formulated. 

These  thoughts,  however,  came  to  her  now  in  the  stillness 
of  the  night  and  by  the  fireside.  So  long  as  her  poor  friend 
was  with  her  she  had  acted  almost  instinctively,  with  the 
quick  grasp  of  an  active  intellect  and  under  the  good  im 
pulses  of  compassion  and  attachment.  Now  that  she  was 
alone  the  time  had  come  to  ponder,  and  Shotaye  weighed  in 
her  mind  the  liabilities  and  assets  of  her  situation.  She  be 
gan  to  calculate  the  probabilities  for  and  against. 

It  was  not  difficult  for  her  to  escape ;  but  this  was  only 
possible  when  attempted  alone.  With  Say  Koitza  flight 
was  next  to  impossible.  Beside,  it  appeared  very  unlikely  to 
her  that  the  woman  would  flee  from  her  children. 

As  for  Shotaye,  the  case  was  different ;  she  might  leave 
her  cave  and  her  scanty  effects  at  any  time,  provided  she 
knew  where  to  go.  This  was  not  so  easy  to  determine. 
The  Navajos,  or  Dinne,  haunted  the  country  around  the 
Tyuonyi ;  and  in  case  she  fell  in  with  one  or  more  of  their 
number,  it  became  a  matter  of  life  or  death.  The  Mo- 
shome,  or  enemies  of  her  tribe,  might  take  a  fancy  to  the 
woman  and  spare  her ;  but  they  might  feel  wicked  and  kill 
her.  Death  appeared,  after  all,  not  such  a  terrible  misfor 
tune  ;  for  under  present  circumstances  what  else  could  she 
expect  at  the  Rito  but  a  horrible  and  atrocious  death? 
But  Shotaye  was  intent  upon  living,  not  so  much  for  the 
sake  of  life  itself — although  it  had  many  sensual  charms 
for  her  —  as  out  of  a  spirit  of  combativeness  resulting  from 
her  resolute  character,  as  well  as  from  the  constant  struggles 
which  she  had  undergone  during  the  time  of  her  separation 
from  her  husband.  She  felt  inclined  to  live,  if  possible,  in 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

spite  of  her  enemies.  To  endure  the  lot  of  a  captive 
among  the  Navajos  was  repulsive  to  her  instincts ;  she 
hated  to  be  a  drudge.  Admitting  that  she  succeeded  in 
eluding  those  enemies,  whither  was  she  to  direct  her 
flight  ?  That  there  were  village  communities  similar  to  her 
own  at  a  remote  distance  was  known  to  her ;  but  she  was 
aware  of  only  one  in  which  she  might  be  received,  and  that 
belonged  to  the  Tehuas,  of  whom  she  knew  that  a  branch 
dwelt  in  the  mountains  west  of  the  river,  inhabiting  caves 
somewhere  in  the  rocks  at  one  day's  journey,  more  or  less, 
from  the  Rito.  Between  these  Tehuas  and  the  Queres  of 
the  Tyuonyi  there  was  occasional  intercourse,  and  a  fairly 
beaten  trail  led  from  one  place  to  the  other ;  but  this  inter 
course  was  so  much  interrupted  by  hostilities,  and  the 
Navajos  rendered  the  trail  so  insecure  beside,  that  she  had 
never  paid  much  attention  to  it.  Still,  there  was  no  doubt 
in  her  mind  that  if  she  reached  the  habitations  of  the  Tehuas, 
above  where  the  pueblo  of  Santa  Clara  now  stands,  a  hospi 
table  reception  would  be  extended  to  her.  But  could  she 
leave  Say  alone  to  her  dismal  fate  ? 

After  all,  death  was  not  such  a  fearful  thing,  so  long  as  no 
torture  preceded  or  accompanied  it.  Death  must  come  to 
her  once,  at  all  events,  and  then  what  of  it?  There  need 
be  no  care  for  the  hereafter,  according  to  her  creed.  The 
Pueblo  Indian  knows  of  no  atonement  after  dying;  all 
sins,  all  crimes,  are  punished  during  this  life.  When  the 
soul  is  released  from  the  thralls  of  this  body  and  its  sur 
rounding  nature,  it  goes  to  Shipapu,  at  the  bottom  of  the 
lagune,  where  there  is  eternal  dancing  and  feasting,  and 
where  everything  goes  on  as  here  upon  earth,  but  with  less 
pain,  care,  anguish,  and  danger.  Why  therefore  shun  death  ? 
Shotaye  was  in  what  we  should  call  a  philosophic  mood. 

Such  careless  philosophy  may  temporarily  ease  the  mind, 
*ince  it  stifles  for  a  moment  the  pangs  of  apprehension  and 


Il8  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

dread.  But  with  the  temporary  relief  which  Shotaye  felt, 
the  demands  of  physical  nature  grew  more  apparent.  In 
other  words  she  felt  hungry,  and  the  more  so  as,  being  now 
almost  resolved  to  suffer  death  with  resignation,  it  was  im 
perative  to  live,  and  consequently  to  eat,  until  Death  should 
knock  at  her  door.  She  poured  a  good  portion  of  the  now 
boiling  stew  into  a  smaller  bowl  and  began  to  fish  out  the 
morsels  with  her  fingers,  while  between  times  she  drank  of 
the  broth.  The  warm  food  comforted  her,  gave  her 
strength,  and  aroused  her  vital  powers,  which  arduous 
thinking  had  almost  put  to  sleep. 

She  placed  the  pot  with  the  stew  in  a  corner  and  sat 
down  again,  leaning  against  the  wall.  No  sleepiness 
affected  her.  There  was  too  much  to  think  of  as  yet.  Her 
thoughts  returned  to  the  absorbing  subject  of  the  day,  and 
with  these  thoughts,  random  at  first,  a  pale,  wan  figure  rose 
before  her  inner  eye,  —  a  form  well,  only  too  well,  known  to 
her;  that  of  Say  Koitza.  She  saw  that  figure  as  she  had 
seen  it  not  long  ago,  —  crouching  before  that  very  fire  in 
bitterest  despair,  bewailing  her  own  lot,  lamenting  her 
imminent  untimely  death,  and  yet  without  one  single  word 
of  reproach  for  her  who  had  beguiled  her  into  doing  what 
now  might  result  in  the  destruction  of  both.  Was  not  that 
thin,  trembling  woman  her  victim  ?  Was  she  not  the  one 
who  had  led  Say  astray  ?  The  Indian  knows  not  what  con 
science  is,  but  he  feels  it  all  the  same  ;  and  Shotaye,  igno. 
rant  of  the  nature  of  remorse,  nevertheless  grew  sad. 

Indeed  she  it  was  who  had  beguiled  the  poor  frail 
creature,  —  she  it  was  who  had  caused  her  to  perform  an  act 
which,  however  immaterial  in  fact,  still  entailed  punishment 
of  the  severest  kind  according  to  Indian  notions  and 
creed.  She  was  the  real  culprit,  not  Say,  —  poor,  innocent, 
weak-minded  Say.  Shotaye  felt  that  she  had  done  wrong, 
and  that  she  alone  deserved  to  suffer.  But  would  he/ 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  119 

punishment  save  the  other?  Hardly,  according  to  IndiaR 
ideas.  Therefore,  while  it  dawned  upon  her  that  by  accus  • 
ing  herself  boldly  and  publicly  she  might  perhaps  ward  off 
the  blow  from  the  head  of  her  meek  and  gentle  accomplice, 
that  thought  was  quickly  stifled  by  the  other,  that  it  was  im 
practicable.  Again  a  voice  within  her  spoke  boldly,  Save 
yourself  regardless  of  the  other. 

Yet  she  discarded  that  advice.  She  could  not  forsake 
her  victim.  For  in  addition  to  the  legitimate  motives  ol 
sympathy,  another  and  stronger  reason  prevailed, —  the  dread 
of  the  very  powers  whom  she  thought  to  have  invoked  in 
Say's  behalf,  and  to  whose  dark  realm  she  fancied  that  she 
would  be  fettered  and  still  faster  riveted  by  committing  an 
action  which  she  regarded  as  worse  than  all  her  other  deeds. 
Dismissing  every  thought  of  self  she  resolved  to  remain  true 
to  Say,  happen  what  might.  Shotaye  had  almost  become  — 

"  part  of  the  power  that  still 
Produceth  good,  whilst  ever  scheming  ill." 

She  believed  that  death  stood  plainly  at  her  door. 
Nevertheless  she  hated  to  die.  The  philosophy  of  careless, 
frivolous  resignation  could  not  satisfy  her  strong  vitality, 
still  less  her  stronger  feelings  of  hatred  against  her  enemies. 
She  felt  that  there  might  be  a  bare  possibility  of  saving  her 
companion ;  and  the  wish  to  save  herself  at  the  same  time, 
and  in  the  very  teeth  as  it  were  of  the  Koshare,  grew 
stronger  and  stronger.  It  waxed  to  an  intense  longing  for 
life  and  revenge?  But  what  was  to  be  done?  There  was 
the  riddle,  and  to  solve  it  she  thought  and  thought. 
Shotaye  became  oblivious  of  all  around  her,  completely 
absorbed  in  her  musings. 

It  thus  escaped  her  notice  that  the  curtain  over  the  door 
way  had  been  cautiously  lifted  several  times,  and  that  a  hu 
man  face  had  peered  into  the  apartment.  She  even  failed 


120  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

to  hear  the  shuffling  step  of  two  men  who  stealthily  en 
tered  the  room.  Only  when  they  stood  quite  near  her  did 
the  woman  start  and  look  up.  Both  men  broke  out  into 
roaring  laughter  at  her  surprise.  Shotaye  grew  angry. 

"Why  do  you  come  in  so  unceremoniously,"  she  cried. 
"  Why  do  you  sneak  in  here  like  a  Moshome,  or  like  a 
prairie  wolf  after  carrion?  Cannot  you  speak,  you  bear?" 
she  scolded  without  rising. 

Her  anger  increased  the  merriment  of  the  intruders. 
One  of  them  threw  himself  down  by  her  side,  forced  his 
head  into  her  lap,  attempting  to  stroke  her  cheeks.  She 
pushed  him  from  her,  and  recognized  in  him  the  gallant 
Zashue,  Say  Koitza's  husband.  He  grasped  both  her  hands. 
This  she  allowed;  but  continued  scolding. 

"  Go  away,  you  hare,  let  me  alone."  He  again  reached 
toward  her  face,  but  she  avoided  him.  "  Go  home  to  your 
woman ;  I  have  no  use  for  you." 

The  men  laughed  and  laughed  ;  and  the  other  one  knelt 
down  before  her,  looking  straight  into  her  face  with  im 
moderate  merriment.  Then  she  became  seriously  angry. 

"  What  do  you  want  here,"  she  cried ;  and  when  the  first 
one  attempted  to  encircle  her  waist  she  pushed  him  from 
her  with  such  force  that  he  fell  aside.  Then  she  rose  to 
her  feet  and  Zashue  followed. 

"  Be  not  angry,  sister,"  he  said  good-naturedly,  rubbing 
his  sore  shoulder;  "we  mean  you  no  harm." 

"Go  home  and  be  good  to  your  woman." 

"  Later  on  I  will,"  he  continued,  "  but  first  we  want  to 
see  you." 

"And  talk  to  you,"  said  Hayoue,  for  he  was  Zashue's 
companion ;  "  afterward  I  shall  go."  He  emphasized  the 
"  I"  and  grinned. 

"  Yes,  you  are  likely  to  go  home,"  she  exclaimed.  "  To 
Mitsha  you  will  go,  not  to  your  mother's  dwelling." 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  121 

"  Mitsha  is  a  good  girl,"  replied  the  young  man,  "  but  I 
never  go  to  see  her." 

His  brother  meanwhile  attempted  to  approach  the  woman 
again,  but  she  forbade  it. 

"  Go  away,  Zashue,  I  tell  you  for  the  last  time."  Her 
speech  and  manner  of  action  were  very  positive. 

"  Why  do  you  drive  us  away?  "  he  said  in  a  tone  of  good- 
natured  disappointment. 

"I  do  not  drive  you  away,"  replied  Shotaye.  "You 
may  stay  here  a  while.  But  then  both  of  you  must  leave 
me."  Her  eyes  nevertheless  gazed  at  the  two  handsome 
forms  with  evident  pleasure,  but  soon  another  thought 
arose. 

"  Sit  down,"  she  added  quietly,  as  she  grasped  after  the 
stew-pot,  placed  it  on  the  fire,  and  sat  down  so  that  she  was 
in  the  shadow,  whereas  she  could  plainly  see  the  features  of 
both  men.  The  visitors  had  squatted  also  ;  they  feared  to 
arouse  the  woman's  anger,  and  the  surprise  they  had  planned 
had  failed. 

Hayoue  spoke  up  first,  — 

"  You  are  good,  sanaya,  you  give  us  food." 

"  Indeed,"  she  remonstrated,  "  when  I  am  not  willing  to 
do  as  you  want,  you  call  me  mother  and  make  an  old 
woman  of  me."  She  looked  at  the  young  man,  smiling,  and 
winked  at  him. 

"You  are  not  very  young  after  all,"  he  teased;  "you 
might  easily  be  my  mother." 

"What !  I  your  mother?  The  mother  of  such  an  elk? 
You  have  one  mother  already,  and  if  you  need  another,  go 
to  Mitsha' s  mother."  With  these  words  she  fixed  her  gaze 
on  the  youth  searchingly  and  inquiringly.  As  her  face  was 
in  the  shadow  Hayoue  could  not  well  notice  its  expression. 
But  he  said  again,  and  very  emphatically,  — 

"  I  tell  you  once  more,  koitza,  that  I  will  not  have  any- 


122  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

thing  to  do  with  the  girl;  she  is  all  right,  but  — "  he 
stopped  and  shrugged  his  shoulders.  Zashue  interjected,  — 

"  Why  not  ?     Tyope  would  then  be  your  nashtio." 

"  For  that  very  reason  I  do  not  want  his  daughter," 
Hayoue  exclaimed,  looking  straight  at  his  brother.  He  was 
in  earnest  about  this  matter,  and  whenever  Hayoue  grew 
serious  it  was  best  not  to  tease  him  too  much. 

Shotaye  had  treasured  every  word,  noticed  every  look 
and  gesture.  Of  course  she,  as  Tyope's  former  wife,  took 
care  not  to  take  part  in  the  conversation  as  far  as  Tyope 
was  concerned. 

Zashue  turned  to  her  with  the  query,  — 

"Samam,  have  you  any  feathers?" 

Shotaye  was  startled ;  what  might  be  the  import  of  this 
suspicious  inquiry  ?  Did  he  know  about  her  affair  and  come 
only  as  a  spy  ?  She  withheld  her  answer  for  a  moment,  just 
time  enough  for  reflection.  It  was  better  to  seem  uncon 
cerned,  so  she  replied  quietly, — 

"I  have.1' 

"  If  you  have  hawk's  feathers,  will  you  give  me  some  ?  " 

The  mention  of  hawk's  feathers  reassured  Shotaye.  At 
the  same  time  it  indicated  to  her  a  prospective  trade,  and 
the  woman  had  always  an  eye  to  business.  So  she  placed 
both  elbows  on  her  knees,  looked  straight  at  Zashue,  and 
inquired,  — 

"What  will  you  give  me  for  them?" 

"  Nothing,"  replied  Zashue,  with  a  laugh. 

"  Promise  her  the  next  owl  that  you  may  find,"  Hayoue 
taunted. 

"  Be  still,  you  crow,"  scolded  Shotaye,  with  well-feigned 
indignation ;  "  you  need  owl's  eyes  that  you  may  sneak 
about  in  the  dark  after  the  girls.  There  is  not  a  single 
maiden  safe  when  you  are  at  the  Tyuonyi." 

"  And  no  man  is  safe  from  you."  retorted  the  young  man. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  123 

"  You  are  safe,  at  any  rate." 

"  When  you  call  me  a  turkey-buzzard  you  say  the  truth," 
he  answered,  "  else  I  would  not  have  come  to  you." 

Shotaye  understood  the  venomous  allusion  and  was  going 
to  retort,  but  bethought  herself  in  time  and  only  said  in  a 
contemptuous  tone,  — 

"  Why  should  I  quarrel  with  you,  uak."  Then  turning  to 
Zashue  and  changing  the  subject,  — 

"  How  many  feathers  do  you  want,  and  what  will  you  give 
me  for  them?" 

"  Four,  but  they  must  be  long  ones." 

"  What  will  you  give  me  for  them?  " 

"  Let  me  see  the  feathers."     With  this  he  rose. 

Without  replying  Shotaye  poured  out  two  little  bowls  of 
broth,  placed  them  before  her  visitors,  said  "  eat,"  took  a 
lighted  stick  from  the  hearth,  and  crawled  into  the  dark  pas 
sage  leading  to  her  magazine.  Soon  she  was  heard  to  rum 
mage  about  in  that  apartment,  and  a  faint  glow  illuminated 
the  low  tunnel. 

While  the  woman  was  busy  searching  for  the  feathers,  the 
two  men  partook  of  the  food  she  had  set  before  them  spar 
ingly,  as  it  was  a  mere  matter  of  etiquette.  But  while  eating 
they  exchanged  sly  glances  and  winks,  like  bad  boys  bent 
upon  some  mischief.  At  last,  as  Shotaye  did  not  return, 
Zashue  stealthily  arose,  removed  one  of  the  heavy  grinding- 
plates  from  its  frame,  and  placed  it  across  the  mouth  of  the 
gangway.  Then  he  stretched  himself  at  full  length  on  the 
floor  with  his  back  leaning  against  the  slab.  Hayoue 
watched  him  and  chuckled. 

The  light  of  the  torch  shone  through  the  space  which  the 
slab  could  not  cover ;  the  mistress  of  the  cave  was  coming 
back.  Very  soon  however  the  light  disappeared  and  all 
grew  silent.  The  firebrand  had  been  extinguished ;  the 
woman  was  inside,  but  kept  perfectly  still,  giving  no  signs 


124  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

of  impatience  or  disappointment.  The  mischievous  men 
looked  at  each  other  in  astonishment ;  they  had  not 
expected  that. 

They  waited  and  waited.  Nothing  stirred  in  the  inner 
room ;  it  grew  late  and  later.  Hayoue  had  intended  to 
make  other  calls,  and  Zashue  also  became  impatient  to  go. 
So  he  called  into  the  dark  passage,  — 

"  Shotaye."     No  reply. 

"  Shotaye." 

"  Shotaye  samam  !  " 

All  was  as  silent  as  the  grave.  They  sat  in  expectation 
for  a  while  ;  then  he  again  shouted,  — 

"  Shotaye  samam  !     Come  out !  " 

Nothing  was  heard.  He  noisily  removed  the  grinding- 
slab  from  the  entrance  and  cried,  — 

"Shotaye,  we  must  go.     Bring  the  feathers." 

"  Let  me  alone  and  go,"  sounded  the  dull  reply  at 
last. 

"  Give  me  the  feathers  first,"  Zashue  demanded. 

"  Come  and  get  them  yourself,"  replied  the  voice  inside. 

This  was  rather  an  awkward  invitation,  for  both  men, 
like  almost  everybody  else  at  the  Rito,  were  afraid  of  the 
medicine-woman's  private  room. 

"  Do  bring  them,"  Zashue  begged. 

"  Go  !  I  will  not  come  out  any  more,"  growled  the  voice 
within. 

"  Shotaye,  sister,  bring  me  the  feathers.  I  will  give  you  a 
fine  deerskin  for  them,"  implored  the  husband  of  Say. 

"  What  do  you  want  them  for?  " 

"  For  the  dance." 

"  You  lie  !     There  is  no  dance  now." 

Anxiously  and  eagerly  Zashue  cried,  — 

•'  There  will  certainly  be  a  dance.  Three  days  hence  we 
shall  dance  the  ay  ash  tyucotz  !  " 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  12$ 

And  Hayoue,  who  until  then  had  quietly  enjoyed  the 
dialogue,  now  interjected  emphatically,  — 

"  Certainly,  sanaya,  in  three  days." 

"  Wkat  will  you  give  me  if  I  bring  them  ?  "  came  the  dull 
query  again  from  within. 

"A  hide." 

"  Go  !  I  will  keep  my  feathers." 

"  I  will  give  you  two  turquoises." 

"  Give  me  four,"  demanded  the  cave-dweller. 

"  It  is  too  much,"  cried  both  men  at  once. 

No  reply  followed.  Shotaye  remained  silent.  The  trada 
was  broken  off.  Still  the  younger  brother  felt  disinclined 
to  give  up.  He  went  to  the  mouth  of  the  passage  and  said 
aloud,  — 

"  If  you  give  us  the  feathers  you  shall  have  two  green 
stones  and  one  deerskin." 

"  Is  it  true  ;  do  both  of  you  promise  it?  "  asked  the  wo 
man,  after  a  while. 

"  Yes  !  yes  !  "  cried  both  men  together. 

"  Then  put  the  things  near  the  hearth  and  sit  down,"  she 
commanded. 

"  We  have  them  not  with  us." 

"  Go  and  get  them." 

"We  cannot  to-night." 

"  Then  I  will  keep  my  feathers  until  you  bring  what  you 
have  promised ;  "  and  with  these  words  Shotaye  crept  smil 
ing  out  of  the  passage  and  planted  herself  before  the  dis 
comfited  men. 

"  Go  home,  now,  children,"  she  said.  "  I  am  tired.  I 
am  sleepy." 

They  attempted  to  beg,  they  pleaded  and  implored ;  but 
she  was  firm.  All  they  finally  obtained  was  her  promise  to 
deliver  the  feathers  on  the  next  day,  provided  the  price 
agreed  upon  was  paid.  With  this  the  two  men  had  to  be 


126  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

satisfied,  and  their  exit  was  as  crestfallen  and  disappointed 
as  their  entrance  had  been  mischievous  and  buoyant. 

They  had  been  completely  outwitted  and  foiled  by  the 
wily  woman.  Nevertheless,  they  never  thought  for  a  mo 
ment  of  obtaining  by  force  what  she  so  positively  refused. 
It  would  have  been  easy  for  the  two  strong  men  to  over 
power  her;  but  both  were  afraid  of  the  supernatural  pow 
ers  attributed  to  Shotaye.  For  the  same  reason  they  were 
anxious  to  obtain  the  feathers.  An  object  coming  from 
her  and  having  been  in  her  possession  was  suspected  of 
having  acquired  thereby  virtues  which  it  did  not  possess 
before.  But  these  virtues  were  thought  to  be  beneficial 
only  as  long  as  the  object  was  obtained  from  her  in  a  legiti 
mate  way,  and  with  her  own  free  will  and  kind  consent. 
In  the  opposite  case,  the  bad  will  of  the  woman  went  with 
the  feathers,  and  was  thought  to  work  harm  to  their  new 
owner.  It  was  easy  to  taunt  or  to  tease  Shotaye,  but  to 
arouse  her  anger  appeared  a  dangerous  undertaking ;  and 
as  for  harming  her  person,  none  but  the  shamans  would 
have  attempted  it. 

After  her  guests'  departure  Shotaye  felt  wide  awake. 
She  had  dismissed  them,  not  in  order  to  go  to  rest,  but 
in  order  to  be  once  more  alone  with  her  thoughts.  For 
during  the  bantering  conversation  with  the  brothers,  she 
had  learned  several  important  facts  that  changed  materi 
ally  her  plans.  In  order  to  ponder  carefully  over  the 
different  aspect  of  matters,  she  poked  the  fire  again  and 
sat  down  by  the  hearth  in  the  same  position  as  before  the 
interruption,  and  mused. 

In  the  first  place,  it  had  become  clear  to  her  that  Zashue 
was  utterly  ignorant  of  the  accusation  against  his  wife. 

Next,  she  was  convinced  that  Hayoue  was  far  from  being 
Tyope's  friend  ;  on  the  contrary,  he  seemed  to  dislike  him 
thoroughly.  Hayoue  was  known  to  be  verv  outspoken  it 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  12? 

matters  of  sympathy  and  antipathy,  and  if  he  were  not 
fond  of  Tyope,  the  latter  certainly  had  come  to  feel  it  in 
some  way  or  other.  Then,  for  she  knew  Tyope  well,  he 
doubtless  hated  Hayoue  cordially,  and  would  have  shown 
his  enmity  in  the  dark,  underhand  way  peculiar  to  himself. 
If  Hayoue,  on  the  other  hand,  was  not  favourably  inclined 
toward  Tyope,  it  was  quite  certain  that  he,  being  Cuirana, 
nursed  feelings  of  dislike  toward  the  Koshare  in  general. 
Any  accusation,  therefore,  which  the  Delight  Makers  would 
bring  against  Say  Koitza  was  sure  to  meet  at  first  with  de 
cided  incredulity  on  the  part  of  the  young  man,  and  this 
incredulity  might  possibly  be  converted,  through  adroit 
management,  into  active  opposition. 

But  the  most  valuable  piece  of  news  she  had  heard 
from  the  intruders  was  that  three  days  hence  a  solemn 
dance,  the  ayash  tyucotz,  was  to  be  performed  at  the 
Rito.  These  ceremonies,  which  are  always  of  a  religious 
nature,  are  proposed  generally  by  the  principal  shamans 
to  the  civil  chiefs,  —  in  council  or  privately,  —  either  on 
the  strength  of  some  presage  or  dream,  or  as  a  public 
necessity.  The  proposal  agreed  to,  as  it  usually  is,  the 
time  is  set ;  but  no  publication  is  made  either  of  the  per 
formance  or  of  the  hour  until  the  day  on  which  it  is  to 
occur  or  the  evening  previous.  But  the  matter  is  talked 
about  at  home,  in  the  circle  of  friends,  and  thus  it  gradu 
ally  becomes  known  to  everybody  as  a  public  secret,  and 
everybody  has  time  to  prepare  for  it.  Shotaye  mixed 
very  little  with  the  people  at  the  Rito ;  she  hardly  ever 
went  to  see  any  one,  and  such  as  came  to  see  her  had 
other  matters  to  talk  about.  It  was  no  surprise  to  her 
to  learn  that  an  important  dance  was  near  at  hand;  but 
it  was  a  source  of  much  gratification  nevertheless.  For 
until  the  dance  was  over  nothing  could  or  would  be  un 
dertaken  against  Say  and  herself.  After  the  perform- 


128  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

ance,  it  was  equally  sure  that  several  days  would  elapst; 
ere  the  council  could  meet  in  full,  as  the  religious  heads 
of  the  tribe  had  yet  to  go  through  ceremonies  of  a  pri 
vate  nature.  At  all  events,  it  proved  to  her  that  there 
was  no  immediate  danger,  and  that  she  still  had  time  be 
fore  her.  With  time,  so  the  resolute  and  wary  woman 
reasoned,  there  was  hope. 

Thus  musing  and  speculating,  she  sat  for  a  long  while. 
The  fire  went  out,  but  she  did  not  notice  it.  At  last 
she  arose,  unfolded  several  robes  and  mantles,  which  she 
easily  found  in  the  dark,  and  spread  them  out  on  the  floor 
for  her  couch.  Shotaye  could  go  to  sleep ;  for  at  last 
she  saw,  or  thought  she  saw,  her  way  clearly.  She  had 
fully  determined  upon  her  plan  of  action. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"  Hu-Hu-Hu-Hu-Hu-Hu-Hu-Hu-Hu-o-o-o-o ! " 

Shrill  cries,  succeeding  one  another  in  quick  succession, 
ending  in  a  prolonged  shout,  proceed  from  the  outer  exit 
of  the  gallery  that  opens  upon  the  court-yard  of  the  large 
building. 

The  final  whoop,  caught  up  by  the  cliffs  of  the  Tyuonyi, 
echoes  and  re-echoes,  a  prolonged  howl  dying  out  in  a  wail. 
Men's  voices,  hoarse  and  untrained,  are  now  heard  chant 
ing  in  rhythmic  and  monotonous  chorus.  They  approach 
slowly,  moving  with  measured  regularity ;  and  now  strange 
figures  begin  to  emerge  from  the  passage-way,  and  as  they 
file  into  the  court-yard  the  chant  grows  louder  and  louder. 
A  refrain  — 

"Ho-a-al     Heiti-na!     Ho-a-a!     Heiti-na!" 

breaks  clearly  and  distinctly  upon  the  ear,  mingled  with  the 
discordant  rumblings  of  a  drum.  The  fantastic  procession 
advances,  forming  a  double  column,  composed  of  men  and 
women  side  by  side.  The  former  are  stamping  and  the 
latter  tripping  lightly,  but  all  are  keeping  time.  They  cer-  / 
tainly  present  a  weird  appearance,  tricked  out  in  their 
gaudy  apparel  and  ornamented  with  flashy  trinkets.  The  < 
hair  of  the  men  is  worn  loose ;  tufts  of  green  and  yellow 
feathers  flutter  over  the  forehead,  while  around  their  necks 
and  dangling  over  their  naked  chests  are  seen  strings  of 
porcupine  quills,  shell  beads,  turquoises,  bright  pebbles,  feld 
spar,  apatite,  —  anything  in  short  that  glitters  and  shines. 
Bunches  of  similar  material  glisten  in  their  ears.  Fastened 
about  the  waist,  and  reaching  as  low  as  the  knee,  a  rude 


' 


130  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

kilt-like  garment  composed  of  white  cotton  cloth  or  ot 
deerskin  hangs  and  flaps.  It  is  ornamented  with  an  em 
broidery  of  red  and  black  threads,  and  quills  of  the  porcu 
pine.  Below  the  knee,  garters  of  buckskin,  tinged  red  and 
yellow,  form  a  fringe  to  which  are  attached  tortoise-shell 
rattles  and  bunches  of  elk-hoofs.  The  ankles  are  encased 
with  strips  of  the  white  and  black  fur  of  the  skunk,  and 
from  the  waist  a  fox-skin  hangs,  fastened  to  the  back  and 
reaching  almost  as  far  as  the  heel.  Each  man  carries  a 
tuft  of  hawk's  feathers  in  his  left  hand,  while  the  right 
grasps  a  rattle  fashioned  from  a  gourd  and  filled  with 

L.  pebbles. 

The  women  wear  their  ordinary  dress,  emphasized  how 
ever  with  a  profusion  of  necklaces,  wristbands,  and  ear 
pendants,  while  in  each  hand  is  borne  a  bunch  of  pine 
twigs  wagging  from  side  to  side  as  they  move.  But  by  far 
the  most  striking  feature  of  their  costume  is  their  headdress. 
It  consists  of  a  piece  of  buffalo-hide  scraped  and  flattened 
like  a  board,  about  fifteen  inches  long  and  seven  inches 
wide,  one  end  of  which  is  cut  square.  The  other  termi 
nates  in  what  resembles  a  triple  turret,  squarely  notched. 
This  is  painted  green,  and  decorated  with  symbolic  figures 
in  red  and  yellow.  White  feathers  flutter  from  each  of  the 
three  turret-shaped  projections,  and  this  peculiar  headgear 
is  held  in  place  by  strips  of  buckskin  attached  to  the 
squared  end,  and  knotted  about  meshes  of  the  dark,  stream- 
ing  hair. 

^  The  faces  of  both  sexes  are  generously  daubed  with  white 
clay,  in  addition  to  which  the  men  have  their  naked  chests, 
upper  arms,  and  hands  also  decorated  with  stripes  and 
blotches  of  the  same  substance. 

The  procession  is  a  long  one ;  couple  follows  couple,  the, 

\  men  gravely  stamping,  the  women  gracefully  tripping.  At 
the  head  are  the  tallest  and  most  robust  youths,  the  best 

t— 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  131 

developed  and  most  buxom  girls.      Following   these,  the  "^ 
dancers  are  less  and  less  carefully  assorted  and  matched, 
while  boys  and  old  women,  little  girls  and  old  men,  bring 
up  the  rear. 

As  the  last  couple  emerges,  the  chorus  bursts  out  in  full 
for^e,  the  choristers  themselves  issuing  from  the  dark  passage 
way.  These  are  twelve  in  number,  all  men,  dressed  or 
undressed  as  each  one's  fancy  dictates,  their  faces  whitened 
like  the  dancers'.  Their  rude  chant  or  rhythmic  shouting  is 
in  the  minor  key.  They  advance  in  a  body,  keeping  time 
with  their  feet,  gesticulating  in  a  manner  intended  to  con 
vey  the  meaning  of  their  song.  In  their  midst  goes  the 
drum-beater,  an  aged  man  adorned  with  an  eagle's  feather 
behind  each  ear.  Like  the  rest,  his  face  is  daubed  with 
white  paint ;  his  drum,  which  he  thumps  incessantly  with  a 
single  stick,  being  manufactured  from  a  hollow  tree.  Both 
ends  of  it  are  covered  with  rawhide,  and  the  whole  instru 
ment  is  painted  yellow.  We  recognize  easily  in  this  musi 
cian  the  head  of  the  Koshare,  Shyuote's  late  tormentor. 

At  no  great  distance  from  the  exit,  the  chorus  comes  to 
a  halt,  but  the  singing,  gesticulation  and  beating  of  the 
drum  proceed.  The  dancers  meanwhile  move  about  the 
whole  court  to  the  same  step,  but  the  couples  separate  and 
change  places ;  man  steps  beside  man,  woman  joins  woman, 
all  turning  and  passing  each  other,  suggesting  by  their 
movements  the  flexures  of  a  closely  folded  ribbon.  The 
couples  then  re-form,  the  double  rank  strings  out  as  at  first, 
tramping  and  tripping  in  a  wide  circle  to  the  rhythm  and 
measure  of  the  monotonous  music. 

This  solemn  perambulation  and  primitive  concert  is  wit 
nessed  by  numerous  interested  spectators,  and  listened  to 
by  a  large  and  attentive  audience.  The  Rito's  entire 
population  is  assembled,  eagerly,  at  times  almost  devoutly, 
gazing  and  listening.  The  assemblage  crowds  the  roofs 


132  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

and  lines  the  walls  below,  all  confusedly  gathered  together. 
There  is  every  imaginable  posture,  costume,  or  lack  of  cos 
tume,  —  men,  women,  children  clothed  in  bright  wraps  or 
embroidered  skins,  scantily  covered  with  dirty  rags,  or 
rejoicing  in  the  freedom  of  undress.  The  several  roofs  of 
the  large  house,  rising  in  successive  terraces  three  stories 
high,  form  an  irregular  amphitheatre  filled  with  humanity  of 
all  sizes,  shapes,  ages,  clothing,  in  glaring  contrast  with  one 
another.  In  the  arena  formed  by  the  court-yard,  form  and 
colour  intermingle  with  more  order  and  regularity ;  and  at 
the  same  time  greater  brilliancy  is  exhibited.  The  fan 
tastic  headdresses  of  the  women  nod  and  vibrate  like 
waving  plants  of  Indian  corn;  the  lustrous  hair  and  the 
gaudy  costumes  glisten  and  sparkle  in  the  sunlight,  fox 
pelts  wag  back  and  forth,  plumes  and  feathers  flit  and 
dance,  the  monotonous  chanting,  the  dull  thumping  and 
drumming  rise  into  the  deep  blue  sky,  re-echoing  from 
the  towering  cliffs,  whose  pinnacles  look  down  upon  the 
weird  scene  from  heights  far  above  the  uppermost  tier  of 
spectators. 

Among  those  looking  on  we  may  recognize  some  of  our 
acquaintances.  Seated  upon  one  of  the  terraces,  his  chin 
resting  on  his  hand,  is  Topanashka,  who  looks  down  upon 
the  actors  with  a  grave,  cold,  seemingly  indifferent  gaze. 
Say  Koitza  stands  in  the  doorway  of  her  dwelling,  her  wan 
face  wearing  an  immobile  expression.  Her  little  girl,  ele 
gantly  arrayed  in  a  breechclout  and  turquoise  necklace, 
clings  to  her  mother's  wrap  with  one  hand  while  the  other 
disappears  in  her  gaping  mouth.  The  child  is  half  afraid, 
half  curious ;  and  has  an  anxious,  troubled  look.  Shyuote, 
however,  evinces  no  sign  of  embarrassment  or  humility. 
Planted  solidly  on  his  feet,  with  legs  well  apart  and  both 
arms  arched,  he  gapes  and  stares  at  everybody  and  every 
thing,  occasionally  fixing  his  glance  upon  the  resplendent 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  133 

sky  overhead.     In  vain  we  search  for  Zashue  and  his  elder 
son,  Okoya. 

The  mass  of  spectators  —  hundreds  are  here  already  and  "7 
more  are  coming  constantly — do  not  content  themselves  with 
devout  and  reverent  admiration.  Criticism  is  going  on,  and 
it  is  exercised  with  the  most  unlimited  freedom.  Should 
any  one  attract  attention  to  himself,  either  by  the  perfection 
or  imperfection  of  his  dress  measured  by  the  standard  of  the 
critic,  he  is  not  only  mentioned  by  name  and  his  garb  au 
dibly  criticised,  but  pointed  at  approvingly  or  derisively.  . 
The  men  are  made  the  butt  of  their  own  sex  among  the 
audience  ;  while  the  women  praise  or  depreciate,  according 
as  the  occasion  may  seem  to  require,  the  female  members 
of  the  procession.  Frequently,  when  the  costume  of  some 
dusky  beauty  in  the  arena  is  the  object  of  publicly  expressed 
admiration,  some  other  within  hearing  may  be  seen  casting 
a  covert  glance  of  disappointment  at  her  own  less  successful 
apparel.  Or  she  fixes  her  eyes  upon  her  gorgeous  necklace 
with  evident  gratification,  satisfied  that  her  own  get-up  is 
handsomer  than  the  one  that  the  others  so  much  admire, 
while  she  soothes  her  injured  vanity  with  haughty  con 
tempt  for  the  taste  of  those  who  see  so  much  in  her  rival  to 
admire. 

The  beat  of  the  drum  ceases,  the  wild  song  is  hushed, 
and  the  dancers  break  rank,  seeking  rest.  They  collect  in 
groups  or  mingle  with  the  bystanders,  chatting,  laughing, 
panting.  Their  violent  exercise  has  played  sad  havoc  with 
the  paint  upon  their  faces  and  bodies,  rendering  them  less 
fantastic  but  more  ludicrous.  The  drummer  occasionally 
raps  his  instrument  to  satisfy  himself  that  it  is  in  order, 
otherwise  there  is  a  lull  of  which  all  avail  themselves  to  take 
part  in  the  general  conversation.  Children  resume  their 
sports  in  the  court-yard. 

Suddenly  loud  peals  of  laughter  are  heard  on  every  side, 


134  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

and  all  eyes  turn  simultaneously  toward  the  passage-way 
whence  are  issuing  half  a  dozen  strange -looking  creatures. 
They  do  not  walk  into  the  polygon,  but  rather  tumble  into 
it,  running,  hopping,  stumbling,  cutting  capers,  like  a  troop 
of  clumsy,  ill-trained  clowns.  When  they  have  reached  the 
centre  of  the  open  space,  laughter  becomes  louder  and  more 
boisterous  all  around.  Such  expressions  of  mirth  do  not 
merely  signify  amusement,  but  are  meant  as  demonstrations 
of  applause.  The  Indian  does  not  applaud  by  clapping  his 
hands  or  stamping  his  feet,  but  evinces  his  approbation  by 
laughter  and  smirks. 

The  appearance  of  the  six  men  who  have  just  tumbled 
into  the  arena  is  not  merely  strange,  it  is  positively  dis 
gusting.  They  are  covered  with  white  paint,  and  with  the 
exception  of  tattered  breechclouts  are  absolutely  naked. 
Their  mouths  and  eyes  are  encircled  with  black  rings  ;  their 
hair  is  gathered  in  knots  upon  the  tops  of  their  heads,  from 
which  rise  bunches  of  corn  husks ;  a  string  of  deer-hoofs 
dangles  from  each  wrist;  fragments  of  fossil  wood  hang 
from  the  loins ;  and  to  the  knees  are  fastened  tortoise-shells. 
Nothing  is  worn  with  a  view  to  ornament.  These  seeming 
monstrosities,  frightful  in  their  ugliness,  move  about  quite 
nimbly,  and  are  boldly  impudent  to  a  degree  approach 
ing  sublimity.  Notwithstanding  their  uncouth  figures  and 
mountebank  tricks  their  movements  at  times  are  undoubt 
edly  graceful,  and  they  appear  to  exercise  a  certain  authority 

^  over  the  entire  pageant. 

White  is  the  symbolic  paint  of  the  Koshare  ;  hence  all  the 
actors  who  have  performed  their  several  parts,  including  the 
coarse  jesters,  make  up  and  represent  the  society  of  the 
Delight  Makers,  whose  office  it  is  to  open  the  ayash  tyucotz. 
The  association  whose  name  has  heen  selected  as  the  title 
of  our  story  is  now  before  us  fully  represented,  arrayed  in 

^its  appropriate  dress  and  engaged  in  the  discharge  of  some 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  135 

A  its  official  duties.  The  clowns,  too,  the  most  agile  and 
sprightly,  in  a  word  the  most  amusing  of  the  company,  are 
only  an  exaggeration  of  the  rest,  whose  joint  task  it  is  to  dif 
fuse  mirth,  joy,  buoyancy,  delight,  throughout  the  whoh 
tribe.  The  jesters  are  also  the  heralds  and  marshals  of  the 
celebration.  They  gather  together  in  the  centre  of  the  court 
and  carry  on  a  boisterous  conversation  accompanied  with  ex 
travagant  gestures.  No  one  interrupts  their  noisy  garrulity, 
but  the  entire  assemblage  listens  eagerly,  hailing  their  clumsy 
attempts  at  a  joke  and  their  coarse  sallies  of  wit  with  shrieks 
of  laughter.  Their  jests  are  necessarily  of  the  coarsest; 
nevertheless  excellent  local  hits  are  made  and  satiric  person 
alities  of  considerable  pungency  are  not  infrequently  indulged 
in.  One  of  the  clowns  has  tumbled  down ;  he  lies  on  his 
back,  feet  in  the  air ;  another  takes  hold  of  his  legs  and 
drags  him  around  in  the  dust.  The  peals  of  laughter  that 
greet  this  effort  give  testimony  to  the  estimation  in  which  it 
is  held  by  the  lookers-on.  If  one  of  the  spectators  has  the 
misfortune  to  display  immoderate  enthusiasm,  forthwith  he 
is  made  the  target  of  merciless  jeering.  One  of  the  merry 
makers  goes  up  to  him  and  mimics  his  manner  and  actions 
in  the  crudest  possible  way.  The  people  on  the  terraced 
roofs  exhibit  their  joy  by  showering  down  corn-cakes  from 
their  perches,  which  the  performers  greedily  devour.  These 
things  are  delightful  according  to  Indian  notions,  and  are 
well  fitted  to  show  how  much  of  a  child  he  still  is,  —  a  child 
however,  it  must  be  remembered,  endowed  with  the  physical  / 
strength,  passions,  and  appetites  of  adult  mankind. 

The  jesters  scatter.  One  of  their  number  runs  up  to  Say 
Koitza,  who  shrinks  at  his  approach.  Nevertheless  he  plants 
himself  squarely  in  front  of  her,  bends  his  knees  sidewise  so 
as  to  describe  a  lozenge  with  his  legs,  and  thrusts  out  his 
tongue  to  its  fullest  possible  extent.  Upon  this  the  woman 
laughs,  for  in  the  grimacing  abomination  she  has  discovered 


136  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

her  own  husband,  Zashue,  who  thus  pleasantly  makes  himself 
known.  The  hit  is  simply  magnificent  in  the  judgment  of 
his  audience.  Meanwhile  one  of  his  colleagues  is  astride  a 
beam  and  endeavouring  to  crawl  up  it ;  a  third  is  actually  on 
the  roof  and  scatters  the  shrieking  girls  everywhere  by  his 
impudent  addresses;  another  bursts  from  a  room  on  the 
ground-floor  holding  ears  of  corn  in  each  hand,  and  throw 
ing  himself  upon  the  earth  begins  to  gnaw  them  as  a  dog 
would  a  bone,  while  one  of  his  companions  leaps  on  him, 
and  together  they  give  a  faithful  representation  of  two  prairie 
wolves  fighting  over  carrion.  The  greatest  uproar  prevails  all 
about ;  the  Koshare  are  outdoing  themselves ;  they  scatter 
delirious  joy,  pleasure,  delight,  broadcast  among  the  people. 
The  rumblings  of  the  drum  are  heard  again ;  the  men 
and  women  dancers  take  their  places ;  once  more  the 
chorus  surround  the  musicians.  The  clowns  hush  at  once, 
and  squat  or  lie  down  along  the  walls,  sober  and  dignified. 
The  strange  corps  de  ballet  re-forms  in  four  lines,  the  second 
and  third  facing  each  other,  and  the  first  and  fourth  front 
ing  in  opposite  directions ;  men  and  women  alternate. 
Loud  whoops  and  yells  startle  the  air ;  the  drum  rolls  and 
thunders;  each  dancer  brandishes  his  rattle.  Softly  and 
gently,  at  first,  the  chant  begins,  — 

"  Ho-a-a,  Heiti-na,  Heiti-na." 

Gradually  it  increases  in  power,  the  dancers  marking 
time.  Livelier  become  the  motions,  stronger  and  stronger 
the  chanting,  its  text  distinct  and  clearly  enunciated,  — 

"Misho-homa  Shi  pap,  Na-ya  Hate  Ma-a-a-se-ua, 
Ua-tir-anyi,  Tya-au-era-nyi, 
Shoto  Ha-ya  Ma-a-a-se-ua, 
Nat-yu-o-o,  Nat  yu-o-o,  Ma-a-a-se-ua, 
Heiti-na,  Heiti-na,  Ho-a-a,  Ho-a-a." 

The  dancers  intermingle  ;  those  in  the  front  shift  to  the 
rear  rank ;  then  all  together  utter  a  piercing  shriek  and  dart 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  137 

back  to  their  former  positions.  The  ceremony  continues 
for  upward  of  half  an  hour,  during  which  the  same  words 
are  sung,  the  same  figures  repeated.  Then  there  is  again  a 
pause,  and  the  actors  disband  to  rest  and  recuperate.  The 
clowns  forget  their  dignity  and  set  to  work  with  redoubled 
energy,  growing  bolder  and  bolder.  A  party  of  them  has 
penetrated  into  a  ground-floor  apartment,  and  are  throw 
ing  the  scanty  furniture  through  the  doorway.  Now  they 
spread  robes  and  mats  in  the  open  court,  lie  down  on 
them,  crack  jokes,  and  make  faces  at  the  audience.  A 
specially  gifted  member  of  the  fraternity  hurries  down  a 
beam  with  a  baby  in  his  clutches,  which  he  has  powdered 
with  ashes.  He  dances  about  with  it,  and  exhibits  the 
squalling  brat  in  every  attitude  as  a  potential  Koshare. 
The  people  scream  and  shout  with  unmixed  pleasure. 
Now  they  point  at  a  pair  of  monsters,  one  stamping 
and  the  other  tripping  daintily,  who  effectually  mimic  the 
late  partners  of  the  dance  in  the  most  heartless  manner. 
Another  of  these  hideous  creatures  is  sitting  down,  his 
head  covered  with  a  dirty  rag,  staring,  stuttering,  and 
mumbling,  like  an  imbecile.  His  pantomime  is  recog 
nized  at  once  as  a  cruel  mimicry  of  the  chief  penitent 
while  at  prayer,  and  it  is  universally  pronounced  to  be  a 
superb  performance.  To  the  Koshare  nothing  is  sacred ; 
all  things  are  permitted,  so  long  as  they  contribute  delight 
to  the  tribe. 

Topanashka  appeared  to  be  lonesome  in  his  exalted  seat 
upon  the  roof.  He  arose  quietly;  and  the  by-standers 
made  room  for  the  tall  man  as  with  eyes  fixed  on  an  op 
posite  terrace,  he  slowly  descended  and  walked  along  the 
houses  without  deigning  to  take  any  notice  of  the  gambols 
of  the  Koshare.  He  brushed  past  Say  Koitza,  and  with 
out  looking  at  her  or  moving  a  feature  muttered  so  that 
she  alone  could  hear. — 


138  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Watch,  lest  they  discover  the  feathers." 

Passing  to  the  other  side  of  the  court  he  seated  himself 
near  a  small,  slender  man,  somewhat  younger  than  himself. 
This  was  the  tapop,  or  chief  civil  officer  at  the  Rito. 

The  woman  was  greatly  frightened  by  her  father's  words. 
It  flashed  upon  her  that  should  the  Delight  Makers  raid 
her  household  and  upset  it,  as  they  had  others,  the  owl's 
feathers  might  be  detected.  In  the  troubled  state  of  her 
mind  she  had  failed  to  destroy  or  even  remove  them. 
Nevertheless,  she  could  not  immediately  leave  her  post, 
through  fear  of  awakening  suspicion ;  she  must  wait  until 
the  dance  should  begin  and  the  goblins  become  quiescent. 
Then?  What  then? 

The  feathers  lay  buried  in  the  earthen  floor  of  the  inner 
room.  Their  removal  must  be  accomplished  with  great 
care,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  leave  no  signs  of  the  earth 
having  been  recently  disturbed.1  There  was  no  choice ; 
they  must  be  removed  at  all  hazards.  There  would  be 
ample  time  if  she  could  only  afterward  obliterate  all  traces 
of  her  work.  Luckily  the  kitchen  was  very  dark,  and  the 
hearth  covered  with  ashes.  Water  was  there  also,  but  she 
dare  not  use  it  lest  the  moistened  spot  betray  her.  Her 
mind  was  made  up,  however,  and  the  attempt  would  be 
made  as  soon  as  the  dance  was  renewed. 

Singing  and  drumming  are  heard  once  more  ;  the  dancers 
fall  into  line ;  and  when  the  chorus  was  shouting  the  sec 
ond  verse, — 

1  It  was  natural  for  her  to  think  of  removing  the  feathers,  as  they 
would  in  all  probability  be  looked  for  just  where  she  had  put  them; 
that  is,  under  the  floor.  Such  was  the  case  at  Nambe  in  March, 
1855,  when  owl's  feathers  were  found  buried  at  several  places  in  the 
Pueblo.  The  result  of  the  discovery  at  Nambe  was  the  slaughter  of 
three  men  and  one  woman  for  alleged  witchcraft  by  the  infuriated 
mob  of  Indians. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  139 

"  Na-ya,  Ha-te  Oyo-ya-ua, 
Ua-tir-anyi  Tya-au-era-nyi,"  — 

and  the  jokers  had  dispersed,  Say  slowly  retreated  within 
the  room,  cowered  down  by  the  hearth,  a  sharp  stone- 
splinter  in  her  hand  and  her  eyes  fixed  upon  the  door, 
watching  lest  anybody  should  appear.  She  listened  with 
throbbing  heart  to  discover  whether  there  was  any  shuffling 
sound  to  betray  the  approach  of  one  of  the  Koshare.  She 
saw  nothing,  and  no  sound  was  heard  except  the  beats  of 
the  drum  and  the  monotonous  rhythm,  — 

"  Heiti-na,  Heiti-na, 
Nat-yu-o-o,  Nat-yu-o-o,  Ma-a-a-se-e-e-ua." 

The  woman  began  to  dig.  She  dug  with  feverish  haste. 
The  dance  lacked  interest  for  her ;  time  and  again  had  she 
witnessed  it,  and  well  knew  the  figures  now  being  per 
formed.  She  made  the  hole  as  small  as  possible,  digging 
and  digging,  anxiously  listening,  eagerly  looking  up  now 
and  then  at  the  doorway,  and  starting  timidly  at  the  least 
sound. 

At  last  her  instrument  struck  a  resisting  though  elastic 
object ;  it  was  the  feathers. 

Cautiously  she  pulled,  pulled  them  up  until  she  had 
drawn  them  to  the  top  of  the  hole,  then  peered  about  her, 
intently  listening.  Nothing !  Outside  the  uproar  went 
on,  the  chorus  shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  — 

"  Ei-ni-a-ha,  Ei-ni-a-ha-ay, 
Tu-ua  Se-na-si  Tyit-i-na, 
Tyit-i-na-a-a,  Ma-a-a-se-ua." 

Wrenching  the  bundle  from  its  hiding-place,  she  concealed 
it  in  her  bosom ;  then  carefully  replaced  the  earth  and 
clay ;  put  ashes  on  this,  then  clay ;  rubbed  the  latter  with  a 
stone ;  threw  on  more  ashes  and  more  clay ;  and  finally 
stamped  this  with  her  feet,  —  all  the  while  listening,  and 


140  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

glancing  into  the  outer  room.  At  last,  when  it  seemed  to 
her  that  the  most  rigid  search  could  detect  no  trace  of  her 
labours,  she  brushed  the  ashes  from  her  wrap  and  went  out 
under  the  doorway  again. 

She  appeared  composed  and  more  cheerful,  but  hei 
heart  was  pajpitating  terribly;  and  at  every  pulsation  she 
felt  the  dangerous  bundle  concealed  beneath  her  clothing, 
and  she  tightened  still  more  the  belt  encircling  her  waist. 
r  The  third  act  of  the  dance  soon  ended,  and  the  jesters 
went  to  work  once  more,  —  women  and  girls  now  became 
the  objects  of  their  attentions.  The  screams  and  shrieks 
from  the  roof  terraces  when  a  Koshare  is  tearing  about 
amongst  the  women,  loud  as  they  are,  are  drowned  by  the 
uproarious  laughter  of  the  men,  who  enjoy  hugely  the  dis 
gust  and  terror  of  the  other  sex. 

From  some  of  the  houses  the  white  painted  horrors  have 
taken  out  the  grinding-slabs.  Kneeling  behind  them,  they 
heap  dirt  on  their  flat  surfaces,  moisten  it  with  water,  and 
grind  the  mud  as  the  housewife  does  the  corn,  yelping  and 
wailing  the  while  in  mimicry  of  the  woman  and  her  song 
"'  while  similarly  engaged.  The  pranks  of  these  fellows  are 
simply  silly  and  ugly ;  the  folly  borders  on  imbecility  and 
the  ugliness  is  disgusting,  and  yet  nobody  is  shocked ;  every 
body  endures  it  and  laughs. 

Say  Koitza  herself  enjoyed  seeing  her  sex  made  a  butt 
by  coarse  and  vulgar  satyrs.  Suddenly  two  of  the  beasts 
stand  before  her,  and  one  of  them  attempts  an  embrace. 
With  a  loud  shriek  she  pushes  him  away,  steps  nimbly  aside, 
rand  so  saves  the  treacherous  bundle  from  his  grasp.  Both 
the  monsters  storm  into  the  house,  where  a  terrific  uproar 
begins.  Corn  is  thrown  about,  grinding-slabs  are  disturbed, 
pots  and  bowls,  robes  and  mats,  are  dragged  hither  and 
thither ;  they  thump,  scratch,  and  pound  every  corner  of  her 
little  house.  Gascina  for  breath,  quaking  from  terror  and 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  14! 

distress,  she  leans  against  the  wall,  for  in  the  fellow  who 
sought  to  embrace  her  she  recognizes  Tyope. 

All  at  once  he  darts  out  of  the  house,  rushing  past  hei 
with  a  large  ear  of  corn  in  each  hand  which  he  forthwith 
hurls  at  the  head  of  one  of  his  comrades.  This  provokes 
intense  merriment,  increased  still  more  by  his  lying  down 
and  rolling  over  several  times.  The  climax  of  his  humour 
is  attained,  and  exhibits  itself  in  his  squatting  on  the  ground 
close  to  one  of  the  clay-grinding  artists,  where  he  begins  to 
feed  very  eagerly  upon  the  liquid  mud,  literally  eating  dirt. 
But  a  terrible  weight  has  been  lifted  from  the  breast  of  the 
poor  woman,  for  the  dangerous  man  has,  so  she  must  con 
clude  from  his  actions,  discovered  nothing. 

Meanwhile  the  other  Koshare  had  stepped  out  of  the 
house  with  well-filled  hands.  Say  is  unconscious  of  his 
approach,  and  as  he  passes  her  he  empties  his  treasures, 
fine  ashes,  upon  her  devoted  head.  So  sudden  is  his  dis 
appearance  and  so  loud  the  laughter  which  this  display  ol 
subtle  humour  excites  among  the  by-standers,  that  Say 
Koitza  fails  to  recognize  its  author,  Zashue,  her  own 
husband. 

She  feels  much  relieved,  and  her  heart  has  grown  light 
now  that  the  immediate  danger  is  past.  And  intently  she 
tries  to  catch  her  father's  eye,  but  the  old  man  is  quietty 
seated  and  does  not  look  toward  her. 

The  drum  beats  to  signal  the  close  of  the  intermission  S 
The  clowns  are  becoming  too  impudent,  too  troublesome, 
so  that  an  end  must  be  made  to  their  pranks.  The  societj 
of  the  Koshare  will  appear  now  for  the  last  time,  as  aftei 
the  next  dance  they  retire.  While  this  is  at  its  height; 
Topanashka  rises  and  returns  to  his  former  place. 

Walking  slowly  past  his  daughter,  he  looks  at  her.  Shf 
meets  his  gaze  cheerfully,  and  with  a  slight  nod  of  appro 
bation  he  moves  onward. 


142  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

The  dance  is  over,  and  the  Koshare  depart  to  scatter  be 
yond  the  large  house  and  to  rest.  On  the  disappearance 
of  the  last  of  their  number,  including  the  jesters,  whoops 
and  shouts  fill  the  air  again  from  without,  and  a  second 
procession  similar  to  the  former  marches  into  the  court 
yard.  It  is  composed  of  different  persons  similarly  cos 
tumed,  except  that  their  paint  is  bluish  instead  of  white. 
No  clowns  accompany  them.  They  go  through  a  similai 
performance,  and  sing  the  same  songs ;  but  everything  is 
done  with  gravity  and  even  solemnity.  This  band  is  more 
numerous  by  at  least  ten  couples,  and  as  a  consequence 
the  spectacle  is  more  striking  on  account  of  a  greater 
variety  of  dress  and  finery.  A  tall,  slender  young  man 
opens  the  march.  It  is  Hayoue.  His  partner  is  a  buxom 
lass  from  the  Bear  clan,  Kohayo  hanutsh,  a  strong,  thick- 
waisted  creature,  not  so  good-looking  for  a  girl  as  he  is  for 
a  man,  yet  of  such  proportion  and  figure  as  strike  the 
Indian  fancy.  They  pay  each  other  little  attention.  Dur 
ing  the  pauses  each  one  follows  his  own  bent,  and  when 
the  time  calls  they  meet  again. 

c  In  an  Indian  dance  there  is  no  need  of  engaging  part 
ners,  though  it  is  not  unusual  for  such  as  fancy  one  another 
to  seize  the  opportunity  of  so  doing.  The  mere  fact  of  a 
certain  boy  stamping  the  earth  beside  a  certain  girl  on  a 
certain  occasion,  or  a  certain  maiden  tripping  by  the  side 
of  a  particular  youth,  does  not  call  for  that  active  gossiping 
which  would  result  if  a  couple  were  to  dance  with  one- 
another  alone  at  one  of  our  balls.  A  civilized  ball  is  pro 
fessedly  for  enjoyment  alone ;  an  Indian  dance  is  a  re 
ligious  act,  a  public  duty. 

The  society  who  are  now  exercising  their  calisthenics  ir> 
the  court  has  much  similarity  to  the  Koshare,  yet  then 
main  functions  are  distinct.  They  are  called  the  Cuirana. 

If,  during   the  conversation  in  which   Touanashka   in- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  143 

formed  his  daughter  as  to  the  origin  of  the  Koshare  and 
the  ideas  underlying  their  role  in  Indian  society,  Say  Koitza 
had  inquired  of  him  about  the  Cuirana  he  might  have 
given  her  very  similar  information. 

With  this  marked  distinction,  however,  that  whereas  the 
former  consider  themselves  summer  people,  the  latter  are 
regarded  as  winter  men.  While  the  Koshare  are  specially 
charged  with  the  duty  of  furthering  the  ripening  of  the 
fruit,  the  Cuirana  assist  the  sprouting  of  the  seed. 

The  main  work  of  the  Koshare  is  therefore  to  be  done 
5n  the  summer  and  autumn,  that  of  the  Cuirana  in  the 
spring;  and,  moreover,  while  on  certain  occasions  the 
latter  are  masters  of  ceremonies  also,  they  never  act  as 
clowns  or  official  jesters.  Their  special  dance  is  never 
obscene,  like  that  of  the  Delight  Makers. 

During  their  performance,  therefore,  the  public  did  not 
exhibit  the  unbounded  hilarity  which  marked  that  of  their 
predecessors.  The  audience  looked  on  quietly,  and  even 
with  stolidity.  There  was  nothing  to  excite  laughter,  and 
since  the  figures  were  slavish  repetitions,  it  became  monoto 
nous.  Some  of  the  spectators  withdrew  to  their  houses, 
and  those  who  remained  belonged  to  the  cliffs,  whence  they 
had  come  to  witness  the  rite,  as  a  serious  and  even  sacred 
duty. 

While  the  dance  of  the  Cuirana  is  in  progress,  two  of 
the  white  painted  clowns  are  standing  outside  of  the  big 
building,  and  at  some  distance  from  the  new  house  of 
Yakka  hanutsh,  in  earnest  conversation.  Heat  and  ex 
ercise  have  partially  effaced  the  paint,  so  that  the  features 
of  Tyope  Tihua,  and  of  Zashue,  the  husband  of  Say,  can  be 
easily  recognized. 

"  I  tell  you,  satyumishe,"  asserts  the  latter,  "you  are  mis 
taken,  or  words  have  been  spoken  to  you  that  are  not  true. 
This  wife  of  mine  is  good.  She  has  nothing  to  do  with 


144  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

evil,  nor  has  she  tampered  with  it.  You  have  done  her 
wrong,  Tyope,  and  that  is  not  right."  His  features,  already 
distorted  by  the  paint,  took  on  an  expression  of  anger. 

The  other  responded  hastily,  "And  I  tell  you,  Zashue 
Tihua,  that  I  saw  your  wife  sitting  by  the  hearth  with 
Shotaye,"  —  his  voice  trembled  at  the  mention  of  her  name, 
- —  "  and  I  heard  when  that  mean,  low  aniehna  "  —  his  eyes 
flashed,  giving  a  terrible  expression  to  his  already  mon 
strously  disfigured  countenance  —  "spoke  to  the  yellow 
corn  !  " 

"  Did  you  understand  what  she  said  ?  "  Zashue  .interjected. 

"  No,  but  can  any  one  ask  aught  of  the  yellow  corn  but 
evil  ?  I  know,  too,  that  this  shuatyam  picked  up  the  body 
of  an  owl  on  the  mesa "  —  he  pointed  to  the  southern 
heights  —  "  and  carried  its  feathers  back  to  her  foul  hole 
in  the  rocks." 

"But  you  did  not  see  Say  with  them?"  Her  husband 
looked  in  the  eyes  of  the  other  inquiringly,  and  at  the  same 
time  threateningly. 

"  That  is  the  truth,  but  why  does  she  go  with  the  witch, 
and  for  what  purpose  does  that  female  skunk  need  owl's 
plumage,  if  not  to  harm  the  tribe?  She  has  done  harm, 
too,"  — he  stamped  his  foot  angrily,  —  "she  is  the  cause  of 
our  having  no  rain  last  summer.  She  destroyed  the  maize- 
plant  ere  it  could  bring  forth  ears.  She  did  it,  and  your 
,  wife  helped  her."  Furious,  and  with  flaming  eyes,  Tyope 
turned  his  head  and  stared  into  space. 

"  Are  you  sure  that  Shotaye  has  done  this,  and  that  it  is 
.aot  Payatyama's  will  ?  " 

"  Did  we  not  fast  and  mortify  ourselves  while  it  was  yet 
<ime,  all  of  us  from  the  Hotshanyi  down  to  the  youngest 
Koshare?"  exclaimed  Tyope.  "  Was  it  of  any  use  ?  No, 
for  that  base  woman  had  power  over  us  in  order  to  destroy 
the  tribe." 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS  ^5 

"  I  am  not  defending  her,"  Zashue  muttered,  "  but  it  is 
not  certain  that  she  is  guilty,  nor  is  it  proven  that  she  is 
the  cause  of  the  hunger  we  suffered  last  winter." 

His  companion  threw  at  him  a  glance  of  intense  rage. 
The  other's  incredulity  exasperated  Tyope,  but  he  sup 
pressed  his  feeling  and  spoke  in  a  quieter  tone. 

"  Come,  satyumishe,  the  Naua  is  expecting  us,  and  in  his 
presence  we  shall  speak  further.  Our  father  is  wise  and 
will  teach  oui  hearts." 

Say  Koitza's  husband  stood  motionless,  looking  away 
from  his  friend. 

"  Come,"  Tyope  urged,  placing  his  hand  on  the  other's 
shoulder.  Zashue  at  last  turned  around  and  reluctantly 
followed  him.  Both  went  toward  the  new  estufa  of  the 
Maize  clan. 

From  this  circular  building  faint  sounds,  as  of  a  drum 
beaten  by  a  weak  or  lazy  hand,  were  issuing.  The  principal 
Koshare  and  the  Naua  had  retired  thither  for  recuperation 
after  the  dance.  Although  the  old  man  was  not  of  the 
cluster  to  whom  the  estufa  belonged,  he  had  obtained 
permission  from  Yakka  hanutsh  to  use  the  room  on  this 
occasion  as  a  meeting  and  dressing  place  for  himself  and 
his  associates.  The  club-house  of  the  Corn  people  thus 
served  to-day  a  twofold  purpose,  and  was  used  by  two 
distinct  groups  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Rito. 

At  this  hour  the  Koshare  Naua  was  its  sole  occupant. 
He  sat  on  the  floor,  holding  the  drum  in  his  lap  and  touch 
ing  the  instrument  lightly  from  time  to  time.  His  vacant 
gaze  was  fixed  upon  a  small  heap  of  dying  embers,  nearly 
in  the  centre  of  the  room  and  beneath  the  hatchway. 
Occasionally  he  raised  his  head  to  glance  at  the  wall  oppo 
site  him.  The  interior  of  the  estufa  appeared  quite  differ 
ent  from  what  it  did  on  the  day  when  Shyuote's  peep  into 
it  was  so  poorly  rewarded.  Its  walls  had  been  whitened, 

10 


146  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

_  and  were  in  addition  covered  with  strange-looking  paint 
ings.     The   floor  was   partly   occupied   by  a  remarkable 

L.  display  of  equally  strange  objects. 

The  painting  in  front  of  which  the  old  man  sat,  and  at 
which  he  gazed  from  time  to  time,  represented  in  the  first 
place  a  green  disk  surrounded  by  short  red  rays,  which 
three  white  squares,  bordered  with  black,  converted  into 
something  like  the  rude  semblance  of  a  human  face.  This 
disk  stood  for  a  picture  of  the  sun.  Below  it  was  the 
symbol  of  the  moon's  white  disk,  encircled  by  a  black  and 
red  ring,  and  provided  also  with  square  eyes  and  mouth. 
Still  lower  were  painted  two  crosses,  a  red  one  and  a  white 
one,  both  with  black  border. 

Above  the  sun  there  appeared  a  form  intended  to  be 
human,  painted  in  very  gaudy  colours.  This  was  Payat- 
yama,  the  sun- father.  On  each  side  of  him  rose  a  terraced 
pyramid  painted  green,  and  from  the  top  of  one  of  these 
pyramids  to  that  of  the  other  there  spanned  or  stretched  a 
tri-coloured  arch,  red,  yellow,  and  blue,  over  the  sun-father's 
head.  On  each  side  of  sun  and  moon  was  the  crudely 
executed  picture  of  an  animal,  —  the  one  on  the  right, 
being  intended  for  a  bear,  painted  green ;  the  one  on  the 
left,  for  a  panther,  painted  red.  The  heads  of  these  beasts 
were  turned  toward  the  central  figures.  Still  farther,  beyond 
these  beasts  of  prey,  two  gigantic  green  serpents  with  horned 
heads  swept  over  the  remainder  of  the  wall,  leaving  but 
a  narrow  space  facing  the  sun,  where  four  maize-plants, 
two  green  ones  and  two  of  a  reddish-brown  hue,  were 
painted. 

Below  the  central  figures  and  not  quite  reaching  up  to 
them,  an  arch  of  wood,  painted  green  with  a  yellow  middle 
stripe,  was  held  aloft  by  two  poles  driven  into  the  floor  of 
the  estufa.  Under  this  arch  stood  a  wooden  screen,  green 
and  black  with  a  yellow  border  at  the  bottom,  while  the 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

upper  edge  was  carved  into  four  terraced  pyramids  sur 
mounted  by  as  many  black  arches.  Both  right  and  left  of 
the  screen,  pine-branches  resembling  Christmas-trees  of 
to-day  were  stuck  into  the  floor.  This  strange  decoration 
expresses  symbolically  a  meaning  similar  to  that  intended 
to  be  conveyed  by  the  dance  of  the  ayash  tyucotz. 

The  sun- father,  soaring  above  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  — 
for  the  red  cross  is  the  star  of  morning,  the  white  the  eve 
ning  star,  —  is  surrounded  by  the  symbols  of  the  principal 
phenomena  in  nature  that  are  regarded  as  essentially  benefi 
cent  to  mankind.  Thus  the  terraced  pyramids  are  the 
clouds,  for  the  clouds  appear  to  the  Indian  as  staircases 
leading  to  heaven,  and  they  in  turn  support  the  rainbow. 
The  two  principal  beasts  of  prey,  who  feed  upon  game,  like 
man,  and  whose  strength,  agility,  and  acute  senses  man 
hopes  to  acquire,  are  represented  as  the  bear  in  the  colour 
symbolic  of  the  east,  and  the  panther  in  that  of  the  south. 
Farther  away  from  the  sun-father  are  the  two  monstrous 
water- snakes,  genii  of  the  fish- bearing  and  crop-irrigating 
water-courses.  The  sun- father  stands  surrounded  by  all 
these  elements  and  beings  ;  he  fixes  his  blissful  magic  gaze 
upon  the  nourishing  maize-plants,  that  they  may  grow  and 
that  their  ripe  fruit  may  sustain  the  tribe.  Thus  much  for 
the  allegory  on  the  wall. 

But  in  order  that  the  wish  and  hope  which  this  allegoric 
painting  expresses  on  the  part  of  man  may  become  realized, 
invocation  rises  before  the  picture  in  the  shape  of  the  screen, 
denoting  an  altar  on  which  the  rainbow  has  again  settled 
down  as  a  messenger  from  above.  Both  are  green,  since 
it  is  summer ;  and  the  summer  sun,  or  summer  home  of  the 
sun-father,  is  green  also,  like  the  earth,  covered  with  luxuriant 
vegetation. 

Invocation  alone  does  not  suffice  to  incline  the  hearts 
of  Those  Above  kindly  toward  mankind  :  gratitude  is  re- 


148  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

quired  as  an  earnest  of  sincere  worship.  But  this  gratitude 
can  be  expressed  by  words  as  well  as  by  deeds,  and  prayers 
must  precede,  accompany,  or  follow  the  offering.  In  front 
cf  the  altar  a  row  of  bunches  artistically  composed  of  snow- 
white  down  are  placed  on  the  floor.  Each  of  these  delicate 
fabrics  has  sacred  meal  scattered  about  its  base,  and  each 
of  them  symbolizes  the  soul  of  one  household.  They  are 
what  the  Queres  Indian  calls  the  yaya,  or  mother,  dedicated 
to  the  moon- mother,  who  specially  protects  every  Indian 
home.  All  these  stand  below  the  altar  in  token  of  the 
many  prayers  that  each  household  sends  up  to  the  moon, 
painted  above,  that  the  mother  of  all,  who  dwells  in  the 
silvery  orb,  may  thank  her  husband  in  the  sun  for  all  the 
good  received,  and  implore  him  to  further  shed  his  bless 
ings  on  their  children.  Between  these  feather-bushes  anci 
the  embers,  a  great  number  of  other  objects  are  placed,  — 
fetiches  of  stone,  animal  figures,  prayer- plumes,  sacrificial 
bowls  painted  with  symbolic  devices  and  surmounted  by 
terraced  prongs,  and  wooden  images  of  household  gods 
decorated  with  feathers.  Sacred  meal  is  in  or  about  all  of 
them,  and  all  stand  for  so  many  intercessors  praying  for  the 
good  of  the  people,  giving  thanks  in  the  name  of  the 
people  and  offering  their  vows  in  token  of  gratitude. 

Similar  to  this  estufa  of  the  Corn  clan  are  to-day  all  the 
other  estufas  on  the  Tyuonyi.  They  contain  similar  pic 
tures,  and  similar  objects  are  grouped  on  the  floors  in  front 
of  them.  Before  the  altars  the  swan-white  mother-souls 
glisten  and  flutter.  The  estufas  are  without  human  occu 
pants,  their  entrances  alone  are  watched  by  old  men  or 
women  outside  to  prevent  the  work  of  invocation  and  grati 
tude  performed  inside  by  symbolic  advocates  from  being 
desecrated  by  rude  or  thoughtless  intruders. 

While  this  work  is  going  on  thus  silently  and  without 
direct  intervention  of  man,  man  himself  performs  a  similar 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  149 

duty  in  the  open  air  through  the  ceremonies  of  the  great 
dance. 

In  this  dance  the  Koshare  came  first,  for  their  request 
was  one  of  immediate  importance.  That  the  fruit  may  ripen 
is  the  object  of  their  sacramental  performances,  —  "  even 
the  fruit  in  woman's  womb,"  Topanashka  had  explained. 
To  this  end  man  must  contribute  with  delight  and  work 
ivith  love.  Whoever  mourns  or  harbours  ill-will  cannot 
expect  his  task  to  prosper.  In  this  manner  even  the  ob 
scene  performances  of  the  Koshare  are  symbolic,  and  their 
part  in  the  great  dance  is  above  all  an  invocation. 

Next  the  Cuirana  came.  Their  labours  are  over;  the 
germs  which  they  were  to  protect  with  incantations  have 
sprouted  long  ago,  and  the  plants  are  ready  for  maturing. 
For  these  results  of  their  work  they  give  thanks  to  the  sun- 
father,  —  thanks  loud  and  emphatic,  so  that  he  may  hear  and 
see  how  grateful  his  children  are.  Their  performance  to 
day  is  a  testimonial  of  gratitude. 

To  close  the  dance,  both  societies  will  finally  appear  to 
gether,  and  with  them  representatives  of  the  tribe  at  large. 
All  together  they  will  go  through  the  same  succession  of 
ceremonies,  in  token  that  all  acquiesce  in  the  sentiments  of 
the  Koshare  and  the  Cuirana,  —  that  each  individual  for 
himself  and  in  behalf  of  all  the  others  joins  in  giving  thanks 
for  the  past  and  praying  for  the  future. 

This  is  the  signification  of  the  ayash  tyucotz  when  per 
formed  about  the  time  of  the  summer  solstice.  However 
clumsy  and  meaningless  it  may  seem,  it  is  still  a  solemn 
performance  It  gives  public  expression,  under  very  strange 
forms,  to  the  idea  that  has  found  its  most  perfect  utterance 
in  the  German  philosopher's l  definition  of  "abject  reliance 
upon  God  ;  "  whereas  in  its  lowest  form  it  is  still  "  a  vague 
and  awful  feeling  about  unity  in  the  powers  of  nature,  an 
1  Schleiermacher. 


150  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

unconscious  acknowledgment  of  the  mysterious  link  con 
necting  the  material  world  with  a  realm  beyond  it." 

Seated  comfortably  and  alone,  surrounded  by  the  sym 
bols  of  his  creed,  the  old  leader  of  the  Koshare  was  tapping 
his  drum  and  humming  softly  a  prayer.  On  a  sudden  the 
hatchway  above  him  became  darkened,  and  as  he  looked 
up  he  saw  the  legs  of  a  man  appearing  on  the  uppermost 
rounds  of  the  ladder  leading  down  into  the  subterranean 
chamber.  As  that  man  continued  to  descend,  the  body, 
and  finally  the  head,  of  Tyope  appeared.  Then  followed 
Zashue  Tihua.  When  both  men  were  below,  they  went  to 
the  nearest  sacrificial  bowl,  each  one  took  from  it  a  pinch 
of  yellow  corn-meal  and  scattered  it  in  front  of  the  altar. 
Then  they  turned  to  the  old  man,  but  he  did  not  take  any 
notice  of  either  of  them.  Tyope  squatted  by  his  side,  while 
Zashue  remained  erect. 

"  Sa  nashtio,"  began  the  former,  "  we  have  not  found 
anything." 

"  There  is  nothing,"  added  Zashue,  rather  excitedly ; 
"my  wife  is  innocent." 

The  Naua  raised  his  eyes  with  an  expression  of  astonish 
ment  and  surprise,  as  if  failing  to  understand. 

"What  is  it  that  you  have  not  found?"  he  asked,  rather 
dreamily. 

"  No  coco  —  "  Tyope  stopped  and  looked  at  the  pic 
tures  on  the  wall.  It  is  improper  to  mention  the  names  of 
evil  powers  or  agencies  in  presence  of  the  symbols  of  Those 
Above.  So  he  corrected  himself  and  said,  — 

"  No  hapi." 

"  Hapi?  "  the  Naua  inquired  with  a  vacant  stare,  "  what 
sort  of  hapi  ?  Where  did  you  look  for  them  ?  "  He  bent  his 
head,  as  if  trying  to  remember. 

"  Hapi,"  exclaimed  Tyope,  "  in  the  house  of  Say  Koitza, 
this  motatza's  wife ;  "  and  he  pointed  at  his  companion. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  151 

"  Yes,  indeed ; "  the  chief  of  the  Koshare  now  recollected. 
"  I  know ;  I  recollect  well."  His  eyes  suddenly  bright 
ened  ;  they  assumed  an  expression  of  cunning  as  well  as  of 
suspicion.  His  quick  glance  moved  back  and  forth  from 
one  of  his  visitors  to  the  other.  "So  you  found  nothing? 
Then  there  is  nothing  !  You  were  right,  Zashue ;  your  wife 
is  good."  He  gave  a  chuckle  which  he  intended  for  a 
benevolent  smile. 

"See,"  Say's  husband  exclaimed,  turning  to  Tyope; 
"  the  Naua  believes  as  I  do.  My  wife  is  no  —  "  the  evil 
word  he  suppressed  in  time.  He  stopped,  biting  his  lips  in 
embarrassment. 

Tyope's  features  moved  not.  He  spoke  to  the  chief  of 
the  Delight  Makers  as  quietly  and  calmly  as  possible,  — 

"  I  believe  as  you  do,  nashtio ;  but  while  Say  may  be 
guiltless,  Shotaye  is  not." 

"  Hush  !  "  the  Naua  sternly  interrupted ;  "  think  of  those 
here."  He  pointed  toward  the  symbols.  "  Don't  you  know 
that  they  must  not  hear  the  name  of  that  woman  ?  " 

Tyope  replied  hastily,  and  eager  to  drown  the  reprimand 
his  chief  had  given  him,  — 

"What  shall  we  do,  Naua?" 

The  old  man  became  impatient.  "  Don't  you  see  that  I 
am  at  work?  I  am  busy.  Those  here,"  he  again  nodded 
at  the  idols,  "  leave  me  no  peace.  I  must  be  with  them 
until  the  last  otshanyi  begins.  In  three  days  we  go  to  the 
kaaptsh,  —  you,  he,  all  our  brethren,  —  and  then  we  may 
speak.  Now  leave  me  alone.  Go !  Leave  me !  Go ! 
Go  !  "  he  cried,  and  waved  his  hand  upward.  He  was  not 
to  be  spoken  to  any  longer ;  he  began  to  beat  his  drum 
and  took  up  the  low  chant  again.  Zashue  hurriedly  climbed 
out  of  the  estufa,  and  Tyope  followed  with  an  angry  face. 
When  the  latter  was  on  the  ooen  ground  again,  Zashue 
stepped  up  to  him  and  said  in  a  very  decided  tone,  — 


152  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS, 

"  You  see  now,  satyumishe,  that  Say  is  innocent.  Here 
after,  Tyope,  leave  her  alone."  Turning  about,  he  walked 
toward  the  large  house.  Tyope  cast  after  him  a  look  less 
/  of  anger  than  of  bitter  disappointment. 

The  last  act  of  the  great  ceremony  began.  A  tremen 
dous  shout  sounded  from  the  outer  entrance  to  the  gallery 
leading  into  the  court-yard  of  the  great  house.  The  chant 
arose  stronger  and  louder  than  ever  before,  and  several 
drums  rumbled  at  once.  Again  were  the  terraces  filled 
with  people,  the  walls  below  lined  with  spectators.  Topan- 
ashka  sat  on  the  roof,  cold  and  impassable.  Say  Koitza 
leaned  in  the  doorway  of  her  home,  with  a  quiet,  almost 
smiling,  countenance. 

A  long  array  of  couples,  dressed  as  before  but  painted 
red,  opened  the  procession ;  then  came  the  Cuirana,  and 
last  the  Koshare.  Topanashka  arose  and  joined  the  dan 
cers;  the  Tapop  stood  beside  him,  and  both  stamped 
along,  keeping  time  as  if  they  were  young  once  more. 
The  singers  were  reinforced  by  several  aged  men  with 
snow-white  hair,  three  of  whom  wore  dark  wraps,  sleeve 
less  and  covered  with  red  embroidery.  These  were  thf 
chief  penitents ;  those  without  badges  or  distinctive  dress, 
the  principal  shamans  of  the  tribe.  A  thrill  of  excitement 
ran  through  the  spectators ;  children  on  the  roofs  gathered 
in  groups,  moving  in  harmony  with  the  strong  rhythmic 
noise  below.  The  jesters  had  become  very  quiet;  they 
went  about  gravely  keeping  order,  for  the  court  was  now 
filled  with  performers.  The  green  headdresses  waved  like 
reeds  before  the  wind,  and  the  whole  space  looked  like 
a  rhythmically  wafted  cornfield.  When  the  dancers  were 
executing  the  beautiful  figure  of  the  planting  of  maize, — 
man  and  woman  bending  outward  simultaneously,  each 
one  to  his  side,  and  all  the  rattles  sounding  as  if  upon 
command,  —  everything  around  was  hushed;  everybody 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  1 53 

looked  on  in  respectful  silence,  so  correct  were  the  mo 
tions,  so  well-timed  and  so  impressive  the  sight.  Say  also 
felt  genuine  delight.  She  thought  of  times  long  past  when 
she,  too,  had  joined  in  the  dance.  Now,  alas,  she  could  not. 
With  all  the  relief  this  day  had  brought  her,  there  still  re 
mained  a  dull  weight  in  her  bosom,  and  an  inner  voice  for 
bade  her  to  mingle  with  those  so  sincerely  engaged  in  rites 
of  thanksgiving  to  the  powers  of  good  and  happiness. 

While  she  stood  and  gazed  around,  her  attention  was 
directed  to  a  young  couple  passing  in  front  of  her.  The 
handsome  lad  with  the  dark,  streaming  hair  was  Okoya, 
and  she  recognized  him  proudly  as  the  best-looking  youth 
on  the  ground,  Hayoue  perhaps  excepted.  But  then,  was 
not  Hayoue,  Okoya's  father's  brother?  But  who  was  the 
girl  by  Okoya's  side?  That  slender  figure  of  medium 
height,  that  earnest,  thoughtful  expression  of  the  face,  those 
lustrous  eyes,  —  whose  were  they  ?  The  two  were  manifestly 
a  handsome  pair,  and  the  longer  she  watched  them  the 
more  she  became  satisfied  that  they  were  the  prettiest 
couple  in  the  dance.  They  were  certainly  well  matched ; 
her  son's  partner  was  the  handsomest  girl  of  the  tribe ;  of 
this  she  was  convinced,  and  she  felt  proud  of  it.  Motherly 
pride  caused  her  heart  to  flutter,  and  the  instinct  of  woman 
made  her  eager  to  know  who  the  maiden  was  who  appeared 
such  a  fitting  partner  for  her  own  good-looking  son.  Say 
Koitza  determined  to  improve  the  first  opportunity  that 
might  present  itself  for  ascertaining  who  the  girl  was  and 
where  she  belonged. 

The  day  was  drawing  to  a  close,  a  day  of  joyful  excite 
ment  for  the  people  of  the  Tyuonyi.  The  dance  termi 
nated.  As  the  sun  went  down  the  dancers  crowded  out 
of  the  passage-way ;  so  did  the  visitors ;  it  grew  quieter 
and  quieter  on  and  about  the  large  house.  The  swarm  of 
people  leaving  it  scattered  toward  the  cliffs  in  little  bands 


154  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

and  thin  streams,  separating  and  diverging  from  each 
other  like  the  branches  of  an  open  fan.  And  yet,  after 
night  had  come  and  the  moon  had  risen  in  a  cloudless 
sky,  there  was  still  bustle  everywhere.  Households  rav 
aged  by  the  visitations  of  the  Koshare  were  being  re 
stored  to  order,  the  exhausted  dancers  were  being  feasted, 
and  the  estufas  were  being  cleared  of  everything  bearing 
a  sacred  character.  Young  men  and  boys  still  loitered 
in  groups,  repeating  with  hoarse  voices  the  songs  and 
chants  they  had  lately  addressed  to  the  ruler  of  day. 

On  the  terrace  roof  of  the  home  of  Tyope's  wife  a  young 
girl  stood  quite  alone,  gazing  at  that  moon  where  the  mother 
of  all  mankind,  the  Sanatyaya,  is  supposed  to  reside.  It  was 
Mitsha  Koitza,  who  had  just  returned  from  the  estufa  of  her 
clan  with  the  mother- soul  of  her  own  home,  and  who  still  lin 
gered  here  holding  in  her  hands  the  cluster  of  snowy,  delicate 
feathers.  She  thinks,  while  her  nimble  fingers  play  with  it, 
of  the  young  man  who  has  been  her  partner  the  whole  day, 
who  has  danced  beside  her  so  quiet,  modest,  and  yet  so 
handsome,  and  who  once  appeared  to  her  on  this  same  roof 
brave  and  resolute  in  her  defence.  While  she  thus  stands, 
gazes,  and  dreams,  a  flake  of  down  becomes  detached  and 
quivers  upward  into  the  calm,  still  air.  Involuntarily  the 
maiden  fastens  her  glance  on  the  plumelet,  which  flits  up 
ward  and  upward  in  the  direction  of  the  moon's  silvery  orb. 
Such  a  flitting  and  floating  plume  is  the  symbol  of  prayer. 
Mitsha's  whole  heart  goes  anxiously  with  the  feather.  It 
rises  and  rises,  and  at  last  disappears  as  if  absorbed  by 
moonlight.  The  features  of  the  maiden,  which  till  now  have 
carried  an  anxious,  pleading  look,  brighten  with  a  soft  and 
happy  smile.  The  mother  above  has  listened  to  her  en 
treaty,  for  the  symbol  of  her  thoughts,  the  feather,  has  gone 
to  rest  on  the  bosom  of  her  who  watches  over  every  house, 
who  feels  with  every  loving  and  praying  heart. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

AMONG  Indians  any  great  feast,  like  the  dance  of  the 
ayash  tyucotz  described  in  the  preceding  chapter,  is  not  fol 
lowed  by  the  blue  Monday  with  which  modern  civilization 
is  often  afflicted.  Intoxicating  drinks  were  unknown  to  the 
sedentary  inhabitants  of  New  Mexico  previous  to  the  advent 
of  Europeans.  If  it  happened,  however,  that  one  or  other 
of  the  feasters  overloaded  his  stomach  with  the  good  things 
set  before  him,  after  the  ceremony  was  over  a  decoction 
made  from  juniper-twigs  afforded  prompt  and  energetic  re 
lief.  Among  the  younger  men  it  was  not  rare  for  some  to 
remain  in  company  with  the  fair  sex  until  the  small  hours  of 
morning,  in  which  case  the  rising  sun  found  them  somewhat 
out  of  sleep.  But  the  majority  were  glad  to  retire  to  their 
habitual  quarters  for  a  good  rest  after  the  day's  exertions, 
and  these  woke  up  the  following  morning  bright  and  active, 
as  if  nothing  had  happened  to  divert  them  from  the  duties 
and  occupations  of  every- day  life.  To  this  majority  be 
longed  Okoya. 

After  the  dance  was  over  he  had  loitered  and  lounged 
about  for  a  time  with  some  companions  of  his  own  age,  but  as 
soon  as  the  moon  rose  he  had  sauntered  home.  His  mother 
was  busy  putting  things  into  shape,  for  the  Delight  Makers 
had  left  behind  a  fearful  disorder.  Shyuote  was  there,  too ; 
he  was  careful  not  to  assist  his  mother,  but  to  stand  in  her 
way  as  much  as  possible,  which  action  on  his  part  called 
forth  some  very  active  scolding.  But  it  struck  Okoya  that 
she  appeared  more  cheerful  than  before.  Her  motions  were 


156  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

brisker,  her  step  more  elastic.  Say  Koitza  placed  the  usual 
food  before  her  eldest  son,  and  at  this  moment  Zashue 
came  in  also.  He  felt  exceedingly  proud  of  his  exploits  as 
a  jester,  and  was  jollier  than  ever  before.  Okoya  listened 
for  a  while  to  the  clumsy  and  not  always  chaste  jokes  of  his 
parent,  and  then  retired  to  the  estufa.  The  next  morning, 
bright  and  refreshed,  he  strolled  back  to  the  house  for 
breakfast,  expecting  to  meet  his  father,  who  would  assign 
him  his  day's  work. 

Zashue  had  gone  already.  Nobody  asked  where,  but  it 
was  taken  for  granted  that  he  had  gone  to  see  the  old  chief 
of  the  Delight  Makers  about  the  approaching  days  of  peni 
tential  retirement.  His  mother  was  up ;  and  she  addressed 
her  son  in  a  pleasant  manner,  set  food  before  him,  and 
then  inquired,  — 

"  Sa  uishe,  who  was  the  girl  that  danced  by  your  side  ?  " 

"  It  was  Mitsha  Koitza,"  Okoya  replied  without  looking 
up. 

"Mitsha  Koitza,"  she  repeated,  "where  does  she  belong?" 

"  Tyame  hanutsh." 

«  Who  is  her  father?" 

"Tyope  Tihua.  Do  you  like  her?"  and  he  looked  at 
his  mother  pleadingly,  as  if  asking  her  forgiveness  and  her 
consent  to  his  choice. 

The  woman's  brow  clouded  at  the  mention  of  a  name 
so  hateful  to  her.  She  looked  hard  at  her  son  and  said  in 
a  tone  of  bitter  reproach, — 

"  And  you  go  with  that  girl?  " 

"  Why  not !  "     His  face  darkened  also. 

"  Have  I  not  told  you  what  kind  of  man  Tyope  is?  " 

"The  girl  is  no  Koshare,"  he  answered  evasively. 

"  But  her  mother  is,  and  he." 

Both  became  silent.  Okoya  stared  before  him ;  his  ap> 
petite  was  gone  ;  he  was  angry,  and  could  not  eat  any  more. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  1 57 

What  right  had  this  woman,  although  she  was  his  mother,? 
to  reprove  him  because  he  was  fond  of  a  girl  whose  father 
she  did  not  like  !  Was  the  girl  responsible  for  the  deeds  of 
her  parents  ?  No  !  So  he  reasoned  at  once,  and  then  his 
temper  overcame  him.  How  could  his  mother  dare  to 
speak  one  single  word  against  the  Koshare  !  Had  she  not 
betrayed  him  to  them  ?  In  his  thoughts  the  hatred  which 
she  pretended  to  display  against  the  Koshare  appeared  no 
longer  sincere ;  it  seemed  to  him  hypocrisy,  duplicity,  de 
ception.  Such  deceit  could  mean  only  the  darkest,  the 
most  dangerous,  designs.  With  the  Indian  the  superlative 
of  depravity  is  witchcraft.  Okoya  revolved  in  his  mind 
whether  his  mother  was  not  perhaps  his  most  dangerous  ^ 
enemy. 

On  the  other  hand,  Say  Koitza,  when  she  began  to  ques 
tion  her  son,  had  in  view  a  certain  object.  She  was  anxious 
to  find  out  who  the  maiden  was  whose  looks  had  at  once 
charmed  her.  Next  she  was  curious  to  know  whether 
the  meeting  of  the  two  was  accidental  or  not.  Therefore 
the  leading  question,  "  And  you  go  with  that  girl?  " 
Under  ordinary  circumstances  his  affirmative  reply  might 
have  filled  her  motherly  heart  with  joy,  for  Mitsha's  appear 
ance  had  struck  her  fancy ;  but  now  it  filled  her  with  dis 
may.  Nothing  good  to  her  could  result  from  a  union 
between  her  child  and  the  daughter  of  Tyope.  That  union 
would  be  sure  to  lead  Okoya  over  to  the  home  of  his  be 
trothed,  which  was  the  home  of  her  mother,  where  he  could 
not  fail  to  gradually  succumb  to  the  influence  which  that 
mother  of  Mitsha,  a  sensual,  cunning,  sly  woman  utterly  sub 
servient  to  her  husband,  would  undoubtedly  exert  upon  him. 
It  was  not  maternal  jealousy  that  beset  her  now  and  filled 
her  with  flaming  passion,  it  was  fear  for  her  own  personal 
safety.  Under  the  influence  of  sudden  displeasure  human 
thought  runs  sometimes  astray  with  terrific  swiftness.  Say 


158  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Koitza  saw  her  son  already  going  to  the  house  of  that 
fiend,  Tyope,  night  after  night,  whereas  in  reality  he  had 
never  called  there  as  yet.  She  fancied  that  she  heard  him 
in  conversation  with  this  girl,  confiding  in  her  little  by  little, 
just  as  Zashue  used,  before  he  and  she  became  man  and 
wife.  But  what  could  Okoya  tell  after  all  that  might 
prove  of  harm  to  her?  He  was  a  mere  child  as  yet.  At 
this  stage  of  her  reasoning,  a  cloud  rose  within  her  bosom 
and  spread  like  wildfire.  Was  it  not  strange  that  the  dis 
covery  of  the  owl's  feathers,  the  betrayal  of  that  dread 
secret,  almost  coincided  with  Okoya's  open  relations  with 
the  daughter  of  the  man  who,  she  felt  sure,  was  at  the 
bottom  of  the  accusation  against  her?  A  ghastly  suspicion 
flashed  up  and  soon  became  so  vivid  that  no  doubt  could 
arise,  —  her  own  son  must  accidentally  have  discovered  the 
fatal  feathers ;  he  himself  without  intending  any  harm  must 
have  mentioned  them  to  the  girl,  perhaps  even  in  the 
presence  of  her  mother. 

Say  became  satisfied  that  she  held  the  key  to  her  be 
trayal.  The  riddle  was  solved.  That  solution  dissipated 
all  hopes  of  salvation,  for  if  her  own  son  was  to  be  witness 
against  her  in  the  dreaded  hour  when  the  tribal  council  had 
to  determine  for  or  against  her  guilt,  there  could  be  no 
doubting  his  testimony.  And  Tyope  would  have  that  testi 
mony  in  any  case,  for  if  Okoya  should  deny,  Okoya's  own 
betrothed  might  be  brought  face  to  face  with  him  as  a  wit 
ness.  Thus  she  reasoned  in  much  less  time  than  it  can  b< 
written,  and  these  conclusions  overwhelmed  her  to  such  i\ 
degree  that  she  turned  away  from  her  favourite  child  hi 
bitter  passion,  with  the  conviction  that  her  son  in  whom 
she  had  trusted  was  her  destroying  angel.  She  hid  her  face 
from  him  in  anger  and  grief. 

Okoya  noticed  his  mother's  feelings.  Her  anger  wai 
inexplicable  to  him,  »nless  it  meant  disappointment  iiJ 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  1$9 

relation  to  some  of  her  own  supposed  dark  designs.  It 
made  him  angrier  still,  for  Say's  bitterness  against  the 
Koshare  was  in  his  opinion  only  feigned.  Persuaded  that 
his  mother  was  false  to  him,  and  that  she  was  even  har 
bouring  evil  designs,  he  rose  abruptly  and  left  the  house 
in  silence. 

He  could  no  longer  refuse  to  believe  that  she  was  plan-  "7 
ning  his  destruction.  Otherwise,  why  did  she  oppose  what  to 
him  appeared  the  prelude  to  a  happy  future  ?  And  why  that 
apparent  duplicity  on  her  part,  —  condemning  the  Koshare 
to  his  face,  and,  as  he  thought,  being  in  secret  understand 
ing  with  them  ?  Only  one  explanation  was  reasonable,  the 
only  one  within  reach  of  the  Indian  mind,  —  that  Say  Koitza 
was  in  some  connection  with  evil  powers  which  she,  for 
some  reason  unknown  to  him,  was  courting  for  the  purpose 
of  his  destruction ;  in  other  words,  that  Say  Koitza,  his  own 
mother,  was  a  witch  ! 

Nothing  more  detestable  or  more  dangerous  than  witch 
craft  is  conceivable  to  the  Indian.  To  a  young  and  un 
trained  mind  like  Okoya's  the  thought  of  being  exposed  to 
danger  from  such  a  source  is  crushing.  The  boy  felt  be 
wildered,  dazed.  He  leaned  against  the  wall  of  the  great 
house  for  support,  staring  at  the  huge  cliffs  without  see 
ing  them;  he  looked  at  people  passing  to  and  fro  with 
out  taking  any  notice  of  their  presence.  He  could  not 
even  think  any  more,  but  merely  felt,  —  felt  unutterably 
miserable. 

If  only  he  knew  of  somebody  who  might  help  him ! 
This  was  his  first  thought  after  recovering  strength  and  self- 
control.  Why  not  speak  to  Hayoue?  The  idea  was  like 
the  recollection  of  a  happy  dream,  and  indeed  he  had  har 
boured  it  before.  It  roused  him  to  such  a  degree  that  he 
tore  himself  away  from  the  wall  against  which  he  had  leaned 
as  on  a  last  staff,  and  straightening  himself  he  walked  de- 


160  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS 

liberately  toward  the  upper  end  of  the  Rito,  where  the 
cave-dwellings  of  the  Water  clan  were  situated. 

Hayoue  might  be  at  home,  still  it  was  more  than  likely 
that  the  Don  Juan  of  the  Rito  had  been  spending  the  last 
night  elsewhere.  If  at  home,  so  much  the  better ;  if  not, 
there  was  nothing  left  but  to  wait  until  he  came.  The 
prospect  of  waiting  and  resting  was  not  an  unpleasant  one 
for  Okoya,  who  felt  exhausted  after  the  shock  of  disappoint 
ment  and  disgust  he  had  just  experienced.  As  he  slowly 
approached  the  recess  wherein  the  grottoes  of  the  Water 
clan  lay,  he  halted  for  a  moment  to  catch  breath,  and  just 
then  descried  Shotaye,  who  was  coming  down  toward  him. 
The  woman  had  been  quite  a  favourite  of  his  ever  since  she 
became  so  kind  to  his  sick  mother.  Nevertheless  he  had 
always  felt  afraid  of  her  on  account  of  her  reputation  as 
a  doubtful  character.  Now  the  sight  of  her  made  him 
angry,  for  she  was  his  mother's  friend  and  a  witch  also  ! 
So  he  resumed  his  walk  and  passed  her  with  a  short,  sulky 
guatzena.  Shotaye  noticed  his  surly  manner  and  looked 
straight  at  him,  returning  the  morose  greeting  with  a  loud 
raua  that  sounded  almost  like  a  challenge.  Then  she  went 
on  with  a  smile  of  scorn  and  amusement  on  her  lips.  She 
was  not  afraid  of  the  young  fellow,  for  she  attributed  his 
surly  ways  to  sitting  up  late. 

Okoya  was  glad  to  get  out  of  the  woman's  reach,  and 
he  did  not  stop  until  at  the  entrance  to  the  caves  which 
Hayoue  and  his  folk  occupied.  There  was  no  necessity  of 
announcing  himself;  he  merely  lifted  the  curtain  of  raw 
hide  that  hung  over  the  doorway,  and  peeped  in. 

His  youthful  uncle  —  so  much  he  saw  at  a  glance  —  was 
not  in.  Another  young  gentleman  of  the  tribe  lay  on  the 
floor  beside  the  other  members  of  the  family.  All  were 
sound  asleep  yet,  and  Okoya  dropped  the  curtain  quietly 
and  turned  toward  the  brook.  On  its  banks  he  selected  a 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  l6l 

spot  where,  unseen  to  others,  he  could  look  down  the  valley. 
Here  he  threw  himself  on  the  ground  to  watch,  and  await 
Hayoue's  coming. 

Although  deeply  anxious  to  meet  his  uncle,  Okoya  enter 
tained  no  thought  of  impatience.  He  had  to  wait,  that  was 
all.  Beside,  his  heart  was  so  heavy,  so  full  of  grief  and 
despair,  that  not  even  his  surroundings  could  divert  him 
from  gloomy  thoughts.  The  brook  murmured  and  rustled 
softly  by  his  side,  its  waters  looked  clear  and  limpid;  he 
neither  heard  nor  saw  them.  He  only  longed  to  be  alone, 
completely  alone,  until  his  uncle  should  come.  Okoya 
had  not  performed  his  morning  ablutions,  but  there  was  no 
thought  of  them ;  for  he  was  in  deep  sorrow,  and  when  the 
Indian's  heart  is  heavy  he  is  very  careful  not  to  wash. 

Flat  on  his  stomach,  with  chin  restinp-  on  both  hands, 
indifferent  to  the  peculiar  scenery  before  him,  he  never- 
theless  scanned  the  cliffs  as  far  as  they  were  visible.  The 
grottoes  of  Tzitz  hanutsh  opened  right  in  front  of  him ; 
lower  down,  the  entrances  of  a  few  of  the  caves  of  Kohaio 
hanutsh  could  be  seen,  for  the  rocks  jutted  out  like  tower 
ing  pillars.  They  completely  shut  out  from  his  gaze  the 
eastern  cave-dwellings  of  Tzina  hanutsh.  Farther  to  the 
east,  the  wall  of  cliffs  swept  around  to  the  southeast, 
showing  the  houses  of  the  Eagle  clan  built  against  its  base, 
the  caverns  of  Yakka  hanutsh  opening  along  a  semicircle 
terminating  in  a  sharp  point  of  massive  rocks.  In  that 
promontory  the  port-holes  of  some  of  the  dwellings  of  the 
Cottonwood  people  were  visible.  Beyond,  all  detail  be 
came  undistinguishable  through  the  distance,  for  the  north 
side  of  the  Rito  turned  into  a  dim  yellowish  wall  crowned 
by  dark  pine-timber. 

Okoya  lay  there,  scanning,  watching  every  doorway  back 
and  forth  the  whole  length  of  the  view;  hours  went  by; 
there  were  no  signs  of  Hayoue.  Yet  Okoya  did  not  rise  in 


162  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

angei  and  pace  the  ground  with  impatience,  he  did  not 
scratch  his  head  or  stamp,  he  did  not  even  think  of  swear 
ing,  —  he  simply  waited.  And  his  patient  waiting  proved 
of  comfort  to  him,  for  he  gradually  cooled  off,  and  freed 
from  the  effects  of  his  violent  impressions,  began  to  think 
what  he  could  do.  Nothing,  absolutely  nothing,  at  least 
until  he  had  seen  Hayoue.  To  wait  for  the  latter  was  a 
necessity,  if  it  took  him  the  whole  day.  But  to  wait  in  the 
same  posture  for  hours  was  rather  tiresome,  so  he  rolled 
over  on  his  back,  and  folding  his  arms  under  his  head  began 
*Q  gaze  on  the  skies. 

Bright  and  cloudless  as  they  had  appeared  at  sunrise,  a 
change  had  come  over  them  since  which  attracted  even 
Okoya's  attention.  Instead  of  the  usual  deep  azure,  the 
heavens  had  assumed  a  iingy  hue,  and  long  white  stream 
ers  traversed  them  like  arches.  Had  the  boy  looked  in 
the  west  he  would  have  seen  shredded  clouds  looming  up 
behind  the  mountains,  a  sure  sign  of  approaching  rain. 
But  he  had  become  fascinated  by  what  was  directly 
above  him,  and  so  he  watched  with  increasing  interest 
the  white  arches  overhead.  Slowly,  imperceptibly,  they 
pushed  up,  crossing  the  zenith  and  approaching  the 
eastern  horizon,  toward  which  the  boy's  face  was  turned. 
And  while  they  shifted  they  grew  in  width  and  density. 
Delicate  filaments  appeared  between  and  connected  bow 
with  bow,  gradually  thickening,  until  the  zenith  was  but 
one  vault  of  pale  gray.  The  boy  watched  this  process 
with  increased  eagerness ;  it  caused  him  to  forget  his 
troubles.  He  saw  that  rain  —  one  of  the  great  blessings 
for  which  he  and  his  people  had  so  fervently  prayed, 
chanted,  and  danced  yesterday  —  was  coming  on,  and 
his  heart  became  glad.  The  spirits  —  the  Shiuana  —  he 
thought,  were  kindly  disposed  toward  his  people ;  and 
this  caused  him  to  wonder  what  the  Shiuana  might  realty 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  163 

be,  and  why  they  acted  so  and  so,  and  not  otherwise 
The  Shiuana,  he  had  been  taught,  dwelt  in  the  clouds, 
and  they  were  good ;  why,  then,  was  it  that  from  one 
and  the  same  cloud  the  beneficial  rain  descended,  which 
caused  the  food  of  mankind  to  grow,  and  also  the  de 
structive  hail  and  the  deadly  thunderbolt  ?  l 

A  faint,  muttering  sound,  deep  and  prolonged,  struck 
his  ear.  He  started,  for  it  was  distant  thunder.  The 
Shiuana,  he  believed,  had  read  his  thoughts,  and  they 
reminded  him  that  their  doings  were  beyond  the  reach 
of  his  mind.  Turning  away  from  the  sights  above,  he  ' 
looked  again  down  the  valley.  There,  at  last,  came  the 
long-expected  Hayoue,  slowly,  drowsily,  like  one  who  has 
slept  rather  late  than  long.  Hayoue,  indeed,  was  so 
sleepy  yet  that  his  nephew  had  to  call  him  thrice.  After 
the  third  umo,  however,  he  glanced  around,  saw  Okoya 
beckoning  to  him,  and  came  down  to  the  brook.  Yawning 
and  rubbing  his  eyes  he  sat  down,  and  Okoya  said, — 

"  Satyumishe,  I  want  to  speak  to  you.  Will  you  listen 
to  my  speech  ?  " 

Hayoue  smiled  good-naturedly,  but  looked  rather  in 
different  or  absent-minded  as  he  replied, — 

"I  will;  what  is  it  about?  Surely  about  Mitsha,  your 
girl.  Well,  she  is  good,"  he  emphatically  added;  "but 
Tyope  is  not  good,  not  good,"  he  exclaimed,  looking  up 
with  an  expression  of  strong  disgust  and  blowing  through 
his  teeth.  It  was  clear  that  the  young  man  was  no  friend 
to  Tyope. 

1  A  clear  definition  of  the  Shiuana  is  not  easy  to  give.  In  a  gen 
eral  sense,  they  might  be  called  the  "  spirits  of  the  Fetiches."  As 
everything  strange,  unusual,  or  inexplicable  is  attributed  to  spiritual 
origin,  the  numbers  of  the  Shiuana  are  very  great.  Even  the  pictures 
of  the  sun-father,  of  the  moon-mother,  etc.,  are  Shiuana,  in  the  sense 
of  their  supposed  spiritual  connection  with  the  deified  beings  thef 
represent. 


164  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS 

Okoya  moved  uneasily,  and  continued  in  a  muffled  tone 
of  voice, — 

"You  are  not  right,  nashtio;  it  is  not  concerning  Mitsha 
that  I  want  to  speak  to  you." 

"About  what  else,  then?"  Hayoue  looked  up  in  sur 
prise,  as  if  unable  to  comprehend  how  a  boy  of  the  age  of 
Okoya  could  think  of  anything  else  than  of  some  girl. 

His  brother's  son  took  from  his  neck  the  little  satchel 
containing  sacred  meal.  Without  a  word  he  opened  it,  and 
scattered  the  flour  in  the  usual  way  to  the  six  regions.  Then 
he  pointed  to  the  clouds  and  whispered,  "The  Shiuana  are 
good,"  at  the  same  time  handing  the  bag  to  his  uncle. 
The  latter's  astonishment  had  reached  its  maximum;  the 
boy's  actions  were  utterly  incomprehensive  to  him. 

Again  the  sound  of  distant  thunder  vibrated  from  the 
*vest,  and  the  cliffs  sighed  in  return. 

"  They  are  calling  us,"  Okoya  whispered. 

Hayoue  became  suddenly  very  sober.  He  performed 
the  sacrifice  in  silence,  and  then  assumed  the  position  of 
an  earnest  and  attentive  listener. 

"  Do  you  like  the  Koshare  ? "  began  Okoya,  in  a 
whisper. 

"  No.     But  why  do  you  ask  this  ?  " 

"  Because  I  don't  like  them  either." 

"  Is  that  all  you  had  to  tell  me  ?  I  could  have  told  you 
that  in  their  own  presence."  Hayoue  seemed  to  be  disap 
pointed  and  vexed. 

"  That  is  not  why  I  called  you,  umo,"  Okoya  continued  j 
"  it  is  because  the  Koshare  know  that  I  dislike  them." 

"  What  if  they  do  know  it." 

"  But  they  might  harm  me  !  " 

"They  cannot.  Otherwise  I  should  have  been  harmed 
by  them  long  ago.  But  I  don't  care  for  them." 

Okoya  shook  his  head  and  muttered.,  — 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 


165 


"  I  am  afraid  of  the  Koshare." 

The  other  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  am  not,"  he  said.  "  Men  can  do  harm  with  theil 
hands  and  with  their  weapons ;  and  against  those  you  have 
your  fist  and  the  shield.  Those  Above  "  —  he  pointed  at 
the  skies  —  "  can  harm  us ;  they  can  kill  us.  But  men  — 
why,  we  can  defend  ourselves." 

Okoya  felt  shocked  at  words  which  sounded  to  him  like 
sacrilegious  talk.  Timidly  and  morosely  he  objected,  — 

"  Don't  you  know  that  there  are  witches  !  " 

"  Witches  !     There  are  no  witches." 

Again  there  was  a  mutter  from  the  west,  a  hollow,  solemn 
warning;  and  the  cliffs  responded  with  a  plaintive  moan. 
Even  incredulous  Hayoue  started,  and  Okoya  sighed. 

"  I  will  tell  you  why  I  ask  all  this,"  said  he,  and  he  went 
on  to  explain.  Beginning  with  the  incident  provoked  by 
Shyuote,  he  confessed  to  the  suspicions  which  it  had  aroused 
in  his  mind,  and  laid  the  whole  process  of  his  reasoning 
bare  before  his  listener.  His  speech  was  picturesque,  but 
not  consciously  poetic ;  for  the  Indian  speaks  like  a  child, 
using  figures  of  speech,  not  in  order  to  embellish,  but 
because  he  lacks  abstract  terms  and  is  compelled  to  bor 
row  equivalents  from  comparisons  with  surrounding  na 
ture.  Hayoue  listened  attentively;  occasionally,  however, 
he  smiled.  At  last  Okoya  stopped  and  looked  at  his  friend 
in  expectation.  The  latter  cast  at  the  boy  a  humorous 
glance  ;  he  felt  manifestly  amused  by  his  talk. 

"  Motatza,"  he  began,  "  in  what  you  have  told  me  there 
is  not  more  substance  than  in  the  clouds  above,  when  the 
Shiuana  do  not  dwell  in  them.  It  is  colour,  white  colour. 
It  is  nothing.  You  have  been  painting;  the  picture  is 
done,  but  no  spirit  is  there.  Shyuote  is  a  lazy,  idle  brat ;  he 
shirks  work ;  but  when  you  say  to  him,  Sit  down  and  eat, 
he  all  at  once  becomes  active.  In  this  way  he  sneaks 


I 


166  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

around  from  house  to  house.  He  may  have  overheard 
something  said  about  you  and  your  ways,  he  may  even  have 
surprised  the  Koshare  while  talking  among  themselves. 
But  it  is  quite  as  likely  that  the  toad  has  invented  the 
whole  story  just  in  order  to  anger  you,  for  he  always  finds 
time  to  sneak,  to  lounge,  and  to  hatch  lies,  the  lazy,  good- 
for-nothing  eavesdropper  !  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  that  boy 
is  fit  for  nothing  but  a  Koshare,  and  a  real  good  one  will 
he  become." 

"  But,"  Okoya  rejoined,  "  if  the  Delight  Makers  have 
spoken  about  the  yaya  and  me,  there  must  be  some  cause 
for  it." 

"  Don't  you  know  that  these  shutzuna  always  find  some 
occasion  for  gossip  ? "  Hayoue  cried.  "  Don't  they  run 
into  every  house?  Don't  their  women  stick  their  noses 
into  every  bowl,  in  order  to  find  out  what  the  people  cook 
and  eat  ?  Rest  easy,  satyumishe,  your  mother  is  good,  she 
has  nothing  in  common  with  the  Koshare." 

"  But  is  not  the  nashtio  one  of  them  ?  Your  brother,  my 
father?  Is  he  like  the  rest  of  them?" 

Hayoue  replied,  assuming  an  important  mien,  — 

"  It  is  true  that  brother  is,  and  I  don't  like  it ;  but  we 
can't  change  it.  It  was  so  ordained  long  ago,  for  my  father 
himself  was  Koshare.  Beside,  let  me  tell  you  that  not  all 
that  the  Koshare  do  is  wrong.  If  there  were  no  Koshare,  it 
would  not  be  good  for  the  people.  They  must  see  that 
Those  Above  assist  us  when  the  corn  ripens,  and  inasmuch 
as  they  perform  their  duties,  they  are  necessary  to  us.  It 
is  also  well  that  they  should  bring  joy  and  mirth  among 
the  tribe,  but  "  —  he  raised  his  hand  and  his  eyes  flashed  — 
"  they  must  not  go  beyond  their  duty.  Their  leader  shall 
not  presume  to  be  more  than  the  Hotshanyi,  who  has  to 
suffer  and  bear  for  our  sake  and  for  our  good.  They  shall 
do  their  dutv  and  no  more.  It  is  not  their  duty  to  make 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  l6j 

—7 

people  believe  that  they  are  wiser  than  the  chayani  and  to 
induce  the  people  to  give  them  bowl  after  bowl  full  of 
meal,  feathers,  shells,  and  whatever  else  may  be  good  and 
precious.  For  it  is  not  to  the  Koshare  as  a  body  that  all 
these  things  are  distributed ;  it  is  only  their  naua  who  gets 
them,  and  through  him  his  hanutsh,  at  the  expense  of  all 
the  other  clans.  Neither  shall  the  Koshare  alone  enjoy  our 
makatza,  pretending  that  it  pleases  Those  Above  !  " 

It  thundered  again,  louder  and  longer  than  before. 
Hayoue  stopped,  and  then  went  on. 

"  Zashue  fails  to  see  all  this.  He  is  Koshare,  and  follows 
in  the  tracks  of  the  others  like  a  blind  man.  But  we,  the 
Cuirana,  —  we  see  it.  I  am  not  a  principal,  I  cannot  sit  in 
council  and  speak,  but  withal  I  have  noticed  these  doings 
for  a  long  time.  I  tell  you,  motatza,  that  if  the  Delight 
Makers,  the  old  fiend  who  rules  them,  and  Tyope  are  not 
restrained  very  soon,  there  will  be  sorrow  in  the  tribe ;  the 
people  will  become  weak  because  they  will  be  discontented, 
and  finally  the  Moshome  may  come  and  destroy  us  all." 

"But  if  the  Koshare  are  so  powerful,"  retorted  Okoya, 
"  must  I  not  be  on  my  guard  ?  " 

"  With  some  of  them,  to  be  sure.  Beware  of  Tyope  and 
of  the  old  rogue  ;  they  are  base  and  dangerous  men.  Avoid 
Shtiranyi,  avoid  Ture  Tihua,  Pesana,  and  the  like  of  them. 
But  your  father,  Zashue,  and  Shiape,  your  grandfather's 
brother, —  do  you  believe  they  would  forsake  you  ?  Mind, 
boy,  even  if  the  Koshare  be  against  you,  you  are  not  lost. 
There  is  your  umo,  Topanashka,  and  he  has  great  weight  with 
the  old  men,  with  the  council,  and  with  the  people.  There 
is  your  clan,  Tanyi,  and  in  fine  I  and  my  people  are  here 
too."  He  uttered  these  words  proudly,  looking  at  his 
nephew  encouragingly.  But  Okoya  was  not  fully  reas 
sured  ;  his  doubts  were  not  removed.  There  was  one  thing 
yet  that  he  held  in  reserve  for  the  last,  and  that  was  his 


1 68  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

dread  of  witchcraft  and  the  suspicion  that  such  a  dangei 
threatened  him  from  his  own  mother.  He  resolved  to  tell 
his  friend  all,  including  the  scene  of  the  morning  and  the 
conclusions  he  had  drawn  from  it. 

"  Hayoue,"  said  he,  "  you  are  good  and  wise,  much 
wiser  than  I ;  still,  listen  to  me  once  more." 

Louder  and  nearer  sounded  the  thunder.  Hayoue  bent 
over  toward  Okoya,  a  close,  attentive,  sympathizing  listener. 
The  young  man  related  everything,  —  his  relations  with 
Mitsha,  how  he  had  quarrelled  with  his  mother,  and  the 
conclusions  at  which  he  had  arrived  touching  his  mother's 
evil  designs  and  practices.  At  this  point  Hayoue  began  to 
laugh,  and  laughed  till  he  coughed. 

"  And  you  really  believe  this  !  "  he  cried.  But  at  once  he 
grew  very  serious  and  even  stern.  "  Motatza,  it  is  not  right 
in  you  to  think  thus  of  your  mother.  Say  Koitza  is  good ; 
she  is  better  than  most  women  at  the  Tyuonyi,  far  too  good 
for  my  brother  Zashue,  and  better  than  I  or  you.  I  know 
her  well,  and  even  if  there  should  be  witches,  which  I  do 
not  believe  —  " 

A  loud  thunderpeal  caused  the  mountains  to  tremble. 
Hayoue  started,  shook  his  head,  and  muttered,  — 

"They  call  loudly.  It  may  be  that  there  are  witches. 
At  all  events  "  —  he  raised  his  voice  again  —  "  if  there  are 
such  women,  your  mother  does  not  belong  to  them.  It  is  not 
right,  brother,  for  you  to  think  such  things  of  your  mother. 
You  have  done  her  a  great  wrong,  for  I  tell  you  again  she  is 
good  and  she  is  your  best  friend.  Where  do  you  belong? 
Whose  blood  is  yours  ?  Is  it  your  father's  ?  Are  the  Water 
people  your  people?  No,  Tanyi  is  your  hanutsh.  Your 
mother's  clan  are  your  kindred.  Mind,  satyumishe,  our 
life  is  in  our  blood,  and  it  is  the  blood  of  her  who  gave  you 
life  that  flows  in  your  veins.  When  you  say  aught  against 
your  mother,  you  tarnish  your  own  life." 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"But  why  does  she  not  want  me  to  go  with  Mitsha  ?" 
Okoya  asked,  and  pouted. 

"  Don't  you  see  why,  satyumishe  ?  Don't  you  understand 
it  ?  Say  knows  Tyope ;  she  mistrusts  him  and  is  even  afraid 
of  him.  Mitsha  is  a  good  girl,  and  your  mother  has  noth 
ing  against  her ;  but  she  is  her  mother's  daughter,  and  that 
mother  is  Tyope's  wife.  If  Mitsha  becomes  your  wife  you 
will  go  and  live  with  her,  until  Tyame  hanutsh  has  a  house 
ready  for  Mitsha.  You  will  even  have  to  stay  at  the  home 
of  Tyope's  wife.  Now  I  cannot  say  that  Hannay,  the  wife 
of  Tyope,  is  really  bad ;  she  is  not  nearly  as  bad  as  he,  but 
then  Hannay  is  silly  and  allows  him  to  make  her  his  tool. 
Everything  that  concerns  her  clan  —  things  that  he  of  course 
is  not  entitled  to  know —  she  tattles  to  him  ;  and  she  tells  him 
everything  else  that  she  sees,  hears,  or  imagines.  I  know  it 
to  be  so.  Now,  your  mother  is  afraid  lest  through  Mitsha's 
mother,  first  Mitsha,  afterward  through  her  you,  might  be 
come  entangled  in  the  coils  of  that  sand-viper  Tyope.  For  I 
tell  you,  motatza,"  —  his  eyes  flashed,  and  he  shook  his 
clenched  fist  toward  the  houses  of  the  Eagle  clan,  —  "  that 
man  is  a  bad  man ;  he  is  bad  from  head  to  foot,  and  he 
thinks  of  nothing  but  injury  to  others  for  the  sake  of  his 
own  benefit." 

"  But  what  has  Tyope  done?  How  do  you  know  that  h& 
is  such  a  bad  man?  " 

"  That's  just  it.  He  never  acts  openly.  Like  the  badger, 
after  which  he  is  named,  he  burrows  and  burrows  in  dark 
ness  and  covers  up  his  ways ;  and  when  the  earth  caves  in 
beneath  those  who  walk  over  his  trap  and  they  fall,  he  is 
already  far  away,  and  looks  as  innocent  and  bland  as  a 
badger  on  top  of  the  ground.  But  if  you  follow  him,  then 
he  will  turn  around  and  snap  at  you,  like  a  real  tyope. 
Your  mother  is  right  in  fearing  him  ;  perhaps  not  so  much 
on  her  account  as  for  your  sake.  You  and  Mitsha  are  both 


I/O  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

very  young,  and  that  man  knows  how  to  entrap  such  little 
rabbits." 

Okoya  could  not  deny  the  truth  of  his  uncle's  speech. 
He  felt  that  he  had  wronged  his  mother,  had  misinterpreted 
her  motives ;  and  now  he  was  ashamed  of  himself.  Never 
theless  Indian  nature  is  exceedingly  wary  and  suspicious  in 
all  important  matters,  and  it  struck  him  that  Hayoue  was 
trying  to  dissuade  him  from  his  project  of  union  with 
Mitsha.  Knowing  the  propensities  of  his  gallant  uncle  in 
the  matter  of  women,  he  began  to  suspect  that  the  latter 
might  wish  to  estrange  him  from  the  girl  or  frighten  him 
off  in  order  to  step  into  his  shoes.  So  he  assumed  an  air 
of  quiet  indifference  and  said,  — 

"  I  think  it  is  better,  after  all,  not  to  see  Mitsha  any 
more."  With  this  he  attempted  to  rise ;  but  Hayoue  held 
him  back,  and  spoke  very  earnestly,  — 

"  No ;  it  would  not  be  well.  You  are  fit  for  each  other, 
and  you  must  come  together.  I  will  help  you  all  I  can." 

"Can  you  help  me?"  Okoya  exclaimed,  delightfully 
surprised. 

"  Perhaps  I  can,  perhaps  not.  I  will  talk  to  your  mother 
and  get  her  to  be  in  your  favour  ;  but  there  is  one  thing  you 
must  promise  me  faithfully,  and  that  is  to  be  very,  very 
careful.  When  you  go  to  the  house  of  Tyope's  wife  and 
you  are  asked  about  anything,  say  nothing ;  reveal  nothing 
in  regard  to  matters  of  our  clans  but  what  you  might  shout 
over  the  housetops  with  perfect  impunity.  Otherwise  "  — 
and  his  voice  sounded  like  an  impressive  warning  —  "  you 
may  do  great  injury  to  the  tribe." 

"  But  if  Mitsha  herself  inquires  of  me?  " 

"  You  must  be  wise,  brother,  wiser  than  she  is ;  for  wo 
men  are  seldom  wise,  —  only  forward,  curious,  and  inquisi 
tive.  Wisdom  "  —  and  the  dandy  of  the  Rito  shrugged  his 
shoulders  —  "is  a  gift  to  man,  never  to  woman.  Wheo 


THE  UELIGHT  MAKERS.  I /I 

you  and  Mitsha  are  together  alone,  be  wise.  Don't  ask  her 
anything  that  does  not  concern  you ;  and  if  she  begins  to 
pry  into  your  matters,  you  will  have  a  right  to  say  to  her, 
'  I  don't  pry  into  your  affairs,  so  don't  ask  me  about  those 
of  my  people.'  I  am  sure  that  she  will  let  you  alone  there 
after,  for  Mitsha  is  a  good  girl.  Nevertheless,  be  careful, 
for  it  is  as  certain  as  that  the  brook  runs  through  here  that 
they  will  attempt  to  draw  you  out.  Tyope  will  say  to  his 
wife,  '  Find  out  this  or  that  from  him.'  He  may  even  tell 
her  why  he  wants  to  know  it.  The  woman  goes  to  her 
daughter,  and  bids  her  ask  the  boy  about  such  and  such  a 
thing.  But  she  is  careful  not  to  let  out  why,  and  that 
Tyope  is  at  the  bottom  of  the  inquiry.  The  girl  suspects 
nothing  wrong  and  asks  you,  and  you  tell  her  all  you  know. 
In  this  manner  precious  things  get  little  by  little  into  evil 
hands,  and  the  end  of  it  is  evil.  If  you  will  promise  me 
that  you  will  be  very  cautious,  I  will  speak  to  Say  Koitza 
such  words  that  she  will  feel  glad  to  see  you  and  Mitsha 
become  one." 

Okoya  seized  the  hand  of  his  friend,  breathed  on  it,  then 
clasped  it  with  both  hands,  lifting  it  up  to  heaven.  He 
could  not  utter  a  word ;  joy  and  hope  deprived  him  of  the 
power  of  speech.  Hayoue  suffered  him  to  go  through  this 
ceremony ;  he  also  felt  glad. 

The  storm  was  drawing  nearer ;  dense  clouds  hovered 
over  the  Rito,  but  they  did  not  notice  them.  Louder  and 
)ouder  the  thunders  rolled,  and  in  quicker  succession  came 
the  peals ;  they  heeded  not.  From  the  heights  in  the  west 
there  was  a  sound  of  gushing  rain ;  they  paid  no  attention 
to  it. 

Hayoue  spoke  again,  — 

"Something  I  have  yet  to  tell  you.  Although  Mitsha 
may  like  you,  and  even  if  her  mother  be  in  your  favour,  — 
perhaps  as  much  for  her  own  sake  as  on  her  daughter's 


172  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

account,"  he  added,  with  a  scornful  smile,  —  "  it  is  by  no 
means  certain  that  Tyope  will  give  his  consent.  If  you 
become  his  tool,  if  you  let  him  wield  you  as  a  hand  wields 
flint  or  stone,  then  he  will  be  in  your  favour ;  if  not,  he  will 
not  be.  He  knows  very  well  how  precious  Mitsha  is,  and 
with  the  aid  of  her  mother  and  of  that  mother's  clan  he 
hopes  to  sell  his  pretty  girl  to  his  own  best  advantage.  Un 
less  you  are  willing  to  let  him  use  you  to  grind  his  corn  as 
a  woman  grinds  it  on  the  yanyi,  you  have  no  chance ;  he 
will  barter  away  Mitsha  to  a  Navajo,  if  thereby  he  reaches 
his  ends." 

Okoya  started,  horrified.  "Is  Tyope  as  bad  as  that?" 
he  asked. 

"  Do  you  recollect  Nacaytzusle,  the  savage  stranger 
boy?"  Hayoue  inquired  in  return. 

"  I  do ;  but  he  has  left  us." 

"  It  does  not  matter ;  for  to  that  wild  wolf  he  would 
rather  give  Mitsha  than  let  her  be  your  wife.  There  is  no 
danger  of  my  obtaining  her,"  he  added,  with  a  grim  smile, 
"  for  he  hates  me  like  a  water-mole.  True  it  is  that  I,  too, 
detest  him  as  I  do  a  spider." 

Okoya  felt  bewildered. 

"  Why  should  he  give  Mitsha  to  a  Moshome  ?  "  he  tim 
idly  inquired.  "  What  would  he  gain  by  it?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  and  nobody  knows,  except  perhaps  the 
young  Navajo,  that  fiend.  But  sure  it  is,  and  it  bodes  no 
good  for  us  at  the  Tyuonyi." 

A  violent  crash  of  thunder  was  followed  by  a  few  drops 
of  rain.  Hayoue  looked  up  and  said, — 

"  Kaatsh  is  coming ;  let  us  go." 

Both  rose  and  walked  toward  the  caves  for  shelter.  Or. 
the  high  mesa  above,  the  wind  roared  through  the  timber  ; 
in  the  valley,  it  was  yet  quiet.  Lightning  flashed  through 
the  clouds.  Hayoue  stood  still,  grasped  the  arm  of  his 
companion,  and  pointed  at  the  southern  heights. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  173 

"  If  you  ever  go  up  there,"  he  warned,  "  be  very  careful." 
Okoya  failed  to  understand,  and  only  stared. 

"Be  careful,"  the  other  insisted,  "and  if  possible  never 
go  alone."  He  turned,  and  Okoya  followed.  What  he  had 
heard  and  learned  went  beyond  his  comprehension. 

Ere  they  could  reach  the  caves  a  fiery  dart  shot  from  the 
clouds  that  shrouded  the  mountain-crests ;  it  sped  across  the 
sky  and  buried  itself  in  the  forest  above  the  Rito.  A  clink 
ing  and  crackling  followed,  as  if  a  mass  of  scoria  were  shat 
tered,  then  a  deafening  peal  shook  the  cliffs  to  the  very 
foundations.  A  strong  gust  of  wind  swept  down  the  gorge. 
It  caused  the  tall  pines  to  shake,  and  the  shrubbery  surged 
in  the  blast.  In  the  nooks  and  angles  of  the  cliffs  the  wind 
whirled,  raising  clouds  of  dust  and  sand.  Raindrops  began 
to  fall,  large  and  sparse  at  first,  afterward  smaller  but  thick 
and  fast.  The  first  rain  of  the  season  poured  down  upor 
•the  Rito  de  los  Frijoles. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

SHOTAYE  had  taken  no  part  in  the  great  dance,  and  no 
one  had  missed  her.  It  was  known  that  whenever  the 
Koshare  appeared  in  public  she  was  certain  to  stay  at 
home.  In  point  of  fact  she  seldom  left  her  cell,  unless  it 
was  to  ascend  one  of  the  mesas  for  the  purpose  of  gathering 
medicinal  heros.  Shotaye  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being 
a  strange  and  even  mysterious  being;  and  so  long  as  her 
services  were  not  absolutely  required,  nobody  cared  to  in 
trude  upon  her.  Nevertheless,  she  often  received  visitors 
of  the  male  sex.  She  despised  men  most  thoroughly,  but 
accepted  their  attentions  if  profitable. 

On  the  day  following  the  ayash  tyucotz  Shotaye  left  her 
cave  in  quest  of  vegetable  medicaments.  We  have  seen 
how  she  met  Okoya,  and  how  they  greeted  one  another. 
The  boy's  sullen  manner  amused  her;  she  attributed  his 
morose  ways  to  the  effects  of  an  over-lively  night.  Onward 
she  went,  down  to  the  edge  of  the  brook,  then  turned  to 
the  right  up  the  course  of  the  streamlet.  That  the  skies 
threatened  to  become  overcast  and  that  rain  might  over 
take  her  during  the  day  mattered  little.  Whenever  the 
Indian  is  bent  upon  the  performance  of  some  task,  sunshine 
or  rain,  moonlight  or  snow,  are  matters  of  indifference. 
Shotaye  strolled  on  regardless  of  things  above  or  below. 
People  were  of  as  little  interest  to  her  as  the  clouds.  The 
latter  could  do  her  errand  no  harm,  and  that  errand  w  try 
body  might  know  if  thev  chose  to  follow  her. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  1/5 

Wandering  up  the  gorge  of  the  Rito  and  along  its  north 
ern  limit,  the  woman  soon  reached  the  upper  part,  where 
the  cliffs  crowd  the  water's  edge,  where  the  southern  slopes 
become  more  rugged  and  the  valley  terminates.  There  a 
series  of  gigantic  steps,  formed  by  high  and  beetling  rocks, 
closes  the  Rito  to  the  west.  Down  that  mass  of  ledges  the 
brook  trickles  from  its  source,  and  a  trail,  formerly  much 
used  by  the  Navajos  on  their  raids,  creeps  up,  meandering 
over  and  between  crags,  ledges,  and  shelves  of  bare  rock. 
This  trail  was  seldom  trodden  at  that  time,  and  then  only 
by  armed  men,  for  it  was  regarded  as  dangerous.  Not 
withstanding  the  proximity  of  the  settlement  at  the  Rito, 
the  Navajos  —  Dinne,  or  Moshome  —  lurked  here  quite 
often,  and  many  an  unfortunate  had  lost  his  life  while 
ascending  the  trail  alone. 

Shotaye  was  therefore  travelling  an  exceedingly  hazardous 
road,  but  she  did  not  think  of  danger.  Many  a  time  be 
fore  had  she  clambered  up  and  down  this  rocky  labyrinth, 
and  while  the  Dinne  fairly  swarmed,  nothing  had  ever 
happened  to  her.  It  is  true  that  she  was  exceedingly  wary, 
and  had  in  her  innumerable  excursions  gathered  quite  as 
much  knowledge  of  the  tricks  of  war  as  the  most  experi 
enced  scout,  so  that  she  felt  almost  intuitively  the  approach 
of  danger.  She  had  gradually  become  imbued  with  the 
idea  that  she  was  invulnerable.  To-day,  therefore,  she 
moved  along  this  dangerous  trail  with  the  greatest  appar 
ent  nonchalance.  Furthermore  her  thoughts  so  completely 
absorbed  her  that  while  ascending  from  the  level  of  the 
Rito  she  unconsciously  went  on  thinking  of  nothing  else 
but  of  what  Say  Koitza  had  told  her  in  the  cave,  and  of 
the  plans  for  relief  which  she  had  begun  to  devise,  or  at 
least  to  revolve  in  her  mind. 

The  trail  is  not  only  rough  and  long,  it  is  very  steep  in 
places :  and  the  woman  stopped  for  rest,  sitting  on  a  ledge 


176  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

of  rocks.  Below  her  the  vale  was  no  longer  visible  ;  a  dark 
chasm  yawned  at  her  feet ;  out  of  it  the  cliffs  of  the  Tyuonyi 
rose  like  the  heads  of  giants. 

One  more  difficult  stretch  had  to  be  overcome  before 
Shotaye  could  reach  the  timber  crowning  the  plateau  on  the 
northern  cliffs  of  the  Rito.  Massive  benches  or  ledges, 
abrupt  and  high,  seemed  to  render  farther  ascent  impracti 
cable.  But  Shotaye  kept  on  after  a  short  stop  without  the 
slightest  hesitation.  The  trail  wound  its  way  upward.  It 
crept  from  rocky  step  to  rocky  step,  led  her  from  crags  to 
harrow  bands  skirting  dizzy  cliffs,  until  she  came  to  a  level 
where  the  timber  of  the  northern  mesa  was  easily  reached. 
Once  in  the  shade  of  pines  she  looked  around ;  the  original 
object  of  her  expedition  returned  to  her  mind,  and  she 
scanned  with  particular  care  the  underbrush  in  hope  of  find 
ing  there  the  herbs  on  which  she  based  the  efficacy  of  her 
cures.  It  thundered  audibly,  but  that  was  nothing  to  her. 

There,  close  to  a  juniper-bush,  grew  one  of  the  coveted 
plants.  She  went  to  it,  knelt  down,  and  began  to  pull  it  up 
by  the  roots. 

Suddenly  she  felt  both  of  her  upper  arms  seized  with 
irresistible  power.  Her  body  was  jerked  backward.  Ere 
she  could  think  of  resistance,  she  was  lying  on  the  ground. 
Not  a  shriek,  however,  escaped  her  mouth,  for  although 
surprised,  the  woman  had  presence  of  mind  enough  to 
think  that  either  Tyope  or  some  Navajo  must  have  attacked 
her.  In  either  case  it  was  useless  to  scream,  for  in  either 
case  she  was  lost.  As  soon  however  as  she  was  able  to 
glance  at  her  captor  her  worst  fears  were  dispelled. 

The  man,  or  being,  whatever  he  might  be,  loosened 
his  grip  and  stood  erect.  He  looked  down  into  her  face 
and  grinned.  That  grin  did  not  in  the  least  beautify  his 
already  horrible  features.  The  creature  was  indeed  a  man, 
but  so  disfigured  by  paint  and  accoutrements  that  auv  one 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  \^^ 

unaccustomed  to  the  appearance  of  Indian  warriors  in  full 
dress  must  necessarily  have  taken  him  for  some  fiend  or 
demon  from  the  nether  world.  He  was  of  robust  build, 
his  muscular  chest  was  naked  to  the  waist,  a  kilt  of  deer- 
hide  covered  his  thighs,  and  his  feet  rested  on  small  hoops 
laid  horizontally  and  tied  to  them  like  sandals.  Face  and 
body  were  painted  with  a  black  metallic  powder ;  under 
each  eye  there  was  a  red  dash.  Out  of  this  sinister  face 
the  eyes  gleamed  like  living  coals ;  and  the  smile,  though 
intended  for  a  friendly  token,  appeared  more  like  a  beastly 
leer.  A  close-fitting  cap  covered  the  skull  to  the  ears,  giv 
ing  it  the  appearance  of  ghastly  baldness.  From  under 
this  protection  coarse  locks  of  black  hair  protruded. 

Shotaye  looked  up  at  the  monster,  and,  strange  to  say, 
returned  his  horrid  grin  with  a  smile  and  with  encourag 
ing  winks.  But  the  man  did  not  move ;  he  only  let  go  her 
arms.  So  she  rose.  Thereupon  he  touched  her  right 
arm  with  his  left  hand,  pointed  at  himself  with  the  right, 
and  uttered  in  a  strange  dialect,  "Tehua."  Afterward  he 
pointed  at  her,  adding,  "tema  quio,"  and  accompanied 
these  words  by  most  significant  gestures. 

Shotaye  did  not  understand  the  language,  but  the  signs 
were  clear  to  her. 

"  Koitza,"  she  replied,  imitating  his  motions ;  "  Tehua 
hachshtze  ;  "  and  with  a  wink,  "  amoshko." 

The  Indian  shook  his  head ;  he  dropped  the  arm  of  the 
woman,  made  with  both  hands  the  motion  of  stringing  a 
bow,  and  exclaimed,  — 

"  Uan  save."  Grasping  the  war-club  that  hung  from  his 
wrist  he  struck  two  or  three  blows  with  it  at  random,  re 
peated  the  words  "  uan  save,"  and  looked  askance. 

This  was  beyond  Shotaye's  powers  of  comprehension. 
She  again  pointed  at  herself,  saying,  — 

"Tyuonyi  koitza,"  then   in   the  direction  of  the  Rito, 


1/8  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

made  the  gesture-sign  for  killing,  and  looked  at  the  strangei 
inquiringly  and  with  an  anxious  face. 

Now  the  Indian  understood  her.  His  eyes  sparkled ;  he 
shook  his  head  emphatically,  uttering,  — 

"  Nyo  nyo  tema,  uan  save,  uan  save ;  "  at  the  same  time 
he  pointed  to  the  west  and  brandished  his  war-club. 

It  became  clear  to  the  woman  that  the  warrior  wa.' 
on  an  expedition  against  the  Navajos,  and  not  after  the 
scalps  of  her  own  people ;  but  it  was  equally  plain  to  he! 
that,  being  on  the  war-path,  any  kind  of  enjoyment  was 
prohibited  to  him.  This  was  a  disappointment,  and  the 
strange  dialogue  came  therefore  to  a  stand-still.  Each 
eyed  the  other  in  silence.  All  at  once  the  stranger 
stepped  up  to  her,  and  extending  his  arms  to  the  west, 
asked,  — 

"Uan  save?" 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders  in  silence. 

"  Quio,"  he  said  now,  and  grasped  her  hand  ;  "  tupoge," 
pointing  toward  the  Rito.  "  Quio,"  he  beckoned  her  to 
go  with  him.  "Puye,"  waving  his  hand  to  the  north. 
Lastly  he  grinned  and  whispered,  "  cuinda?  " 

There  was  no  possibility  of  misunderstanding  the  smile 
and  the  motions,  although  the  words,  of  course,  were  be 
yond  Shotaye's  comprehension.  In  return  she  pointed  to 
the  west  again,  made  the  conventional  sign  for  night  and 
sleep,  and  began  to  count  her  fingers.  As  she  bent  the 
eighth  digit  the  Tehua  stopped  her,  held  up  every  finger 
of  the  right  hand  and  three  of  the  left,  described,  as  if 
in  confirmation  eight  times,  an  arch  from  east  to  west, 
and  concluded  by  pointing  to  the  north,  exclaiming  very 
emphatically,  — 

"  Puye  \  "  He  looked  at  her  and  laughed  aloud,  as  the 
Indian  does  when  he  feels  delighted,  pressed  both  hands 
against  his  chest,  and  uttered  proudlv.  — 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Cayamo." 

"  Shotaye,"  she  eagerly  replied. 

The  black- painted  hero  burst  out  in  immoderate  laughter. 

"  Shotaye,  Shotaye,"  he  repeated,  caught  hold  of  one  of 
her  hands,  caressed  his  chest  with  it,  and  danced  about 
merrily,  exclaiming,  — 

"  Cuindae,  Cayamo,  cuindae,  Shotaye,  cuinda  !  "  He 
counted  the  number  eight  several  times,  and  then  suddenly 
bent  down.  One  of  his  sandals  had  become  loose. 

These  sandals  consisted,  as  mentioned  before,  of  wooden 
hoops  covered  by  strips  of  rabbit-skin  and  tied  to  the 
naked  foot  with  bands  of  the  same  material.  The  wearer 
stood  on  them  as  on  wheels  lying  flat  on  the  ground ;  he 
was  able  to  walk  and  even  to  run  at  a  moderate  speed, 
and  the  prints  which  he  made,  being  circular,  gave  a 
pursuing  enemy  no  clew  to  the  direction  of  his  going  or 
coming. 

While  the  man  was  stooping  and  fastening  the  leather 
thongs,  Shotaye  scanned  his  appearance  thoroughly.  She 
perceived  on  his  back,  aside  from  a  bow  and  the  usual 
quiver  filled  with  war-arrows,  a  shield.  The  painting  on 
that  shield  she  examined  with  particular  care.  The  tar 
get  was  painted  white,  with  a  black  rim ;  and  in  the  centre 
was  a  green  crescent,  with  four  red  crosses.  Such  figures 
have  no  heraldic  signification ;  they  are  but  the  creation  of 
fancy  or  taste,  and  recall  the  designs  of  the  ancient  Teu 
tons  which  Tacitus  describes,  "  Scuta  tantum  lectissimis 
coloribus  distinguunt." 

Shotaye  evidently  took  an  interest  in  the  stranger.  He, 
on  the  other  hand,  looked  up  to  her  from  time  to  time 
with  a  terrific  grin  that  was  intended  for  a  sweet  smile. 
As  often  as  he  turned  his  face  toward  her  she  sought  to 
decipher  his  real  features,  which  the  war-paint  rendered 
utterly  unrecognizable. 


180  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

At  last  the  sandal  was  fastened  again,  and  the  Tehua 
stood  erect.  He  waved  his  hand  to  the  west  and  north, 
repeated  the  words,  "  Cayamo,  cuinda,"  and  placed  a  finger 
on  his  lips.  She  nodded,  raised  eight  fingers,  softly  uttered 
"  raua,  raua,  Shotaye,"  and  pointed  to  the  north  also.  There 
upon  he  moved  away  stealthily ;  but  before  disappearing  in 
the  timber,  he  turned  around  once  more  and  waved  his  hand 
northward.  The  woman  replied  with  affirmative  nods,  and 
after  his  form  had  disappeared  she  also  turned  to  go.  Her 
eyes  sparkled  ;  a  gleam  of  intense  satisfaction  illumined  her 
features,  as  with  head  erect  and  heedless  of  the  plants  she 
had  come  to  gather,  she  penetrated  deeper  into  the  forest. 
She  now  went  due  east,  in  a  direction  opposite  to  the  one 
the  Tehua  had  taken. 

This  had  been  a  very  remarkable  meeting  indeed. 
More  than  ever,  Shotaye  believed  that  she  was  invulnera 
ble.  The  Queres  of  the  Rito  and  the  Tehuas,  living  north 
of  them  on  the  other  side  of  savage  mountain-fastnesses,  and 
more  than  a  day's  journey  distant,  were  not  always  on  the 
best  of  terms.  There  was  no  regular  intercourse  between 
the  tribes,  for  the  speech  of  one  differed  from  that  of  the 
other.  Barter  and  traffic  took  place  at  long  intervals  ;  but  as 
not  a  soul  at  the  Tyuonyi  spoke  Tehua,  and  no  one  at  the 
Puye  understood  Queres,  such  attempts  at  commercial  inter 
course  usually  terminated  in  a  fracas,  in  bloodshed  even,  and 
the  party  offended  sought  to  make  things  even  afterward  by 
waylaying  and  murdering  such  of  the  other  side  as  might 
chance  to  wander  in  the  neighbourhood  of  their  abodes. 
Actual  warfare  had  taken  place  between  the  tribes  within 
the  time  of  Shotaye's  recollection,  and  engagements  were 
fought;  one  party  got  worsted  and  ran  home,  the  other 
went  home,  too,  and  that  settled  the  matter  for  the  time 
being.  It  was,  therefore,  not  at  all  safe  for  an  Indian  from 
the  Rito  to  meet  one  from  the  Puye,  and  vice  versa.  Women 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  l8l 


made  an  exception,  inasmuch  as  they  were  exposed  only  to 
capture  and  adoption  in  the  tribe  to  which  their  captors  be 
longed.  Such  compulsory  adoption  was  rendered  very  easy 
by  the  fact  that  nearly  the  same  clans  existed  among  all  the 
Pueblos.  But  the  Eagle  clan,  for  instance,  which  the  Queres 
called  Tyame  hanutsh  in  their  dialect,  bore  in  the  Tehua 
language  the  name  of  Tzedoa. 

As  soon  as  Shotaye  saw  into  whose  hands  she  had  fallen, 
she  felt  completely  reassured.  Even  if  she  were  carried  off 
a  prisoner,  it  was  no  misfortune.  When,  moreover,  she  dis 
covered  that  the  stranger  had  not  even  such  an  object  in 
view,  but  was  after  the  scalp  of  some  Navajo,  she  experienced 
a  feeling  of  delight.  When  at  last  the  Indian  readily  under 
stood  her  suggestions,  and  went  so  far  as  to  indicate  a  day 
when  she  should  come  to  him  at  the  Puye,  her  gladness 
knew  no  bounds.  In  the  accidental  meeting,  all  her  hopes 
for  relief  had  been  realized.  She  was  now  able  to  save 
herself  by  flight  to  the  other  tribe,  but  enough  time  was  left 
her  to  provide  for  the  safety  of  her  companion  in  peril. 

She  had  no  hope  or  thought  of  becoming  the  wife  of  her 
new  acquaintance.  He  was  probably  married ;  but  marriage, 
as  we  have  seen,  was  no  obstacle  to  temporary  outside  friend 
ships.  She  could  take  refuge  at  the  Puye  without  hesitation, 
and  claim  the  protection  of  her  warrior.  In  case  she  after' 
ward  felt  like  tying  herself  to  one  man  only,  there  was  no 
doubt  in  her  mind  that  a  domestic  animal  of  the  genus  hus 
band  could  easily  be  found.  How  often  could  she  have  been 
married  at  the  Rito,  had  the  men  not  looked  upon  her  as  a 
witch  ! 

The  friend  whom  she  had  now  secured  among  the  Tehuas 
called  himself  Cayamo.  Thus  much  she  had  guessed,  and 
guessed  rightly.  But  would  she  be  able  to  recognize  him 
after  his  face  was  washed  and  the  military  undress  ex 
changed  for  that  of  civil  life  ?  Never  mind,  she  had  noted 


iB2  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

the  paintings  on  his  shield,  and  that  was  enough.  There 
are  no  two  shields  alike  in  one  village ;  and  by  uttering  the 
name  Cayamo  and  describing  the  white  escutcheon  with  a 
green  crescent  and  four  red  crosses  —  a  thing  easy  for  Indian 
sign-language  —  she  could  not  fail  to  identify  him.  That 
Cayamo  would  recognize  her  and  acknowledge  her  ac 
quaintance  she  did  not  doubt  for  a  moment.  She  even 
hoped  to  meet  him  half  way  on  the  trail  to  the  village  of  his 
tribe,  provided  the  Navajos  did  not  kill  the  hero.  While 
she  sincerely  hoped  that  he  would  return  safe  and  hi  pos 
session  of  many  scalps,  there  was  still  a  possibility  of  his  own 
scalp  being  taken  by  the  enemy.  The  Navajos  were  very 
cunning,  and  their  arrows  were  tipped  with  very  sharp  flint. 
With  all  her  feelings  for  her  knight,  and  the  reliance  she 
placed  on  his  broad  shoulders,  heavy  neck,  strong  arms, 
and  well-turned  legs,  accidents  remained  possible.  In  case 
Cayamo  should  never  return  to  his  native  village,  what 
then?  Well,  he  was  not  the  only  man  among  the  Tehuas, 
and  that  consoled  her. 

There  seemed  to  be  but  one  dark  point  in  the  otherwise 
bright  outlook.  Would  she  have  time  to  put  her  plans  in 
execution?  Would  the  Koshare,  would  Tyope,  leave  her 
sufficient  respite?  Things  might  have  taken  place  during 
and  after  the  dance  that  changed  the  face  of  matters  and 
precipitated  them  beyond  remedy.  In  case,  for  instance, 
that  the  Delight  Makers  had  overturned  Say's  household  as 
they  were  wont  to  overturn  others,  and  had  discovered  the 
feathers,  was  not  all  hope  gone  ?  Shotaye  suddenly  recol 
lected  how  Okoya  had  greeted  her  that  morning,  —  how  surly 
his  glance,  how  gruff  and  unfriendly  his  call.  Was  that  sig 
nificant?  Still,  if  the  secret  had  been  disclosed,  there  would 
surely  have  been  some  noise  about  it  the  night  before.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  might  be  that  the  council  had  the  case  in 
&and  and  preferred  not  to  make  anything  public  for  the 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  183 

present.  What  if  the  council  were  in  deliberation  at 
the  very  moment,  discussing  her  fate  and  that  of  her  ac 
complice  ?  Would  it  not  be  safer,  instead  of  returning  to 
the  Rito,  to  follow  the  tracks  of  her  new  friend,  Cayamo, 
and  join  him  on  his  dangerous  errand? 

Yes,  it  would  have  been  safer,  provided  Cayamo  would 
have  tolerated  the  companionship  of  a  woman.  But  this  he 
was  not  allowed  to  enjoy,  and  furthermore,  what  would  then 
become  of  that  accomplice  of  hers?  The  latter  thought 
staggered  her. 

Shotaye  was  a  very  strange  woman.  She  was  heart-"7 
less,  cold-blooded,  merciless,  remorseless,  in  everything  that 
concerned  her  relations  to  others.  One  person  only  she 
excepted  in  her  selfish  calculations,  and  that  was  her  ac 
complice  and  victim,  Say  Koitza.  Happen  what  might,  she 
could  not  forsake  Say.  She  must  at  all  hazards  go  back 
to  the  Tyuonyi,  call  at  her  house,  and  find  out  from  her 
whether  or  not  anything  had  occurred  that  might  jeopardize 
her  plans  and  designs.  In  case  matters  were  unchanged, 
she  intended  to  tell  her  friend  the  occurrence  of  the  day, 
giving  her  at  the  same  time  directions  for  the  future. 

Shotaye  quickened  her  step,  for  the  road  was  long.  It 
was  not  advisable  to  return  by  the  trail  she  had  taken  in 
coming,  for  she  needed  a  pretext  for  running  into  the  abode 
of  Say  Koitza  as  if  by  chance.  At  last  she  noticed  the 
change  in  the  weather  and  the  approaching  shower,  and 
thought  it  a  good  plan  to  regulate  her  gait  so  as  to  reach 
the  valley  and  the  big  house  when  the  storm  broke.  She 
might  then  seek  shelter  under  her  friend's  roof  and  avoid 
suspicion. 

Crashing  thunder  roared  in  the  high  Sierra,  and  as  Sho 
taye  looked  around  she  saw  the  rain-streaks  that  swept 
down  on  the  mesas  in  advance  of  the  shower.  The  Sierra 
de  la  Jara  had  vanished  in  the  clouds,  and  gray  fleece? 


1 84  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

whirled  about  the  flanks  of  the  Sierra  de  San  Miguel.  She 
stood  on  the  brink  above  the  eastern  end  of  the  Rito,  and  be 
gan  to  descend  over  boulders  and  crags,  and  through  bushes. 
Only  a  part  of  the  valley  was  visible  ;  in  the  corn-fields  not 
a  living  soul  appeared.  Faster  and  faster  Shotaye  ran,  re 
gardless  of  rocks  and  shrubbery.  The  western  mountains 
were  completely  shrouded,  lightning  tore  the  clouds,  thunder 
bellowed  nearer  and  stronger.  At  last  she  reached  the 
bottom  and  turned  toward  the  houses,  panting,  perspiring, 
but  untired.  As  she  passed  the  new  house  ot  the  Corn 
clan,  the  first  angry  blast  of  the  storm  met  her,  and  she  had 
to  stop.  It  filled  her  with  lively  satisfaction,  however,  to 
see  how  accurately  she  had  regulated  her  movements.  She 
might  get  into  the  big  house  almost  unnoticed,  for  the  rain 
began  to  fall. 

At  the  moment  when  Hayoue  and  Okoya  found  shelter 
in  the  caves  of  the  Water  clan,  Shotaye  dashed  through 
the  gangway  of  the  building.  A  tremendous  shower  was 
falling,  and  as  soon  as  she  entered  the  court  she  was 
drenched  from  head  to  foot,  to  the  great  delight  of  those 
who,  well  protected  themselves,  were  standing  in  the  door 
ways  of  their  quarters.  One  single  voice  called  to  her 
to  come  in,  but  she  took  no  notice  of  it.  Blinded  by  the 
torrents  of  falling  water,  she  groped  her  way  along  the  walls, 
and  finally  stumbled  into  the  open  door  of  Say  Koitza's 
home.  Not  a  single  thread  of  her  scanty  clothing  was  dry ; 
her  hair,  soaked  and  dripping,  clung  to  her  forehead  and 
cheeks  as  if  glued  to  the  skin ;  water  filled  her  eyes,  nos 
trils,  and  ears.  She  removed  the  hair  from  her  brow,  shook 
herself,  coughed,  sneezed,  and  looked  around.  The  room 
was  empty,  but  in  the  inner  cell  a  fire  crackled  on  the 
hearth ;  and  Say  came  out.  At  the  sight  of  her  friend  she 
burst  into  a  hearty  laugh,  and  asked,  — 

"  Where  do  you  come  from  >  " 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  185 

"  Tziro  kauash."  Shotaye  coughed,  then  in  a  whisper 
she  inquired,— 

"  Are  you  alone  ?  " 

Say's  brow  clouded,  and  a  deadly  pang  seized  her.  What 
meant  this  query,  this  call  so  unusual,  so  mysterious?  In  a 
low,  hollow  tone  she  replied,  — 

"  We  are  alone,"  and  turned  back  into  the  kitchen.  Her 
friend's  question  sounded  like  a  prelude  to  dismal  tidings. 

Both  women  squatted  close  to  the  fire.  Not  a  word  was 
spoken.  The  new-comer  was  busy  drying  herself,  and  the 
mistress  of  the  house  was  struck  by  her  rather  cheerful 
looks.  Possibly  her  sad  presentiment  was  wrong.  It  was 
almost  impossible  to  talk,  except  in  a  very  loud  tone ;  for  the 
rain  fairly  roared,  peals  of  thunder  followed  each  other  in 
quick  succession,  flashes  of  yellow  lightning  quivered  outside 
of  the  little  port-hole.  The  room  itself  was  very  dark. 

How  often  had  the  two  women  sat  here  years  ago  in 
anxious  doubt,  but  hopeful  at  last !  How  often  had  Say 
Koitza  complained  to  her  friend  on  this  very  spot,  —  com 
plained  of  her  illness,  of  the  sad  outlook  before  her ;  and 
when  she  began  to  recuperate  how  often  she  told  Shotaye 
about  her  plans  for  the  future.  Now  that  future  had  come, 
and  in  what  shape  ! 

The  roaring  outside  diminished  gradually,  the  thunder 
sounded  more  remote.  Through  the  roof  of  mud  and 
brush  rivulets  of  water  began  to  burst,  forming  little  pud 
dles  on  the  mud  floor  and  dripping  on  the  heads  of  the 
two  women.  Shotaye  took  no  notice  of  it,  but  Say  moved 
to  avoid  the  moisture.  The  roof  seemed  a  sieve,  the  floor 
became  a  lagune. 

Shotaye  inquiied,  — 

"  Have  the  Koshare  been  here  ?  " 

"They  have,"  the  other  said,  "and  they  turned  every 
thing  upside  down,  but  found  nothing." 


1 86  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Shotaye  drew  a  long  breath,  exclaiming,  — 

"  Then  everything  is  right,  all  right ;  and  you  are  safe  !  " 

But  the  wife  of  Zashue  Tihua  shook  her  head  mournfully. 
"  No,  sa  tao,"  she  replied,  "  it  cannot  save  me.  I  am  lost, 
lost  beyond  hope." 

"  Rest  easy,  sister.  Believe  me,"  the  medicine-woman 
assured  her,  "  you  are  saved ;  they  can  do  you  no  harm." 

It  rained  softly  in  the  court-yard ;  inside  of  the  room  it 
went  on,  pat,  pat,  pat,  pat,  dripping  through  the  ceiling. 

Shotaye  resumed  the  conversation. 

"  Speak,  sa  tao,"  she  said ;  "  speak,  and  tell  me  what  you 
think.  Why  is  it  that  you  still  believe  that  bad  men  will  be 
able  to  do  you  harm  ?  Don't  you  know,  sister,  that  you  are 
safe  from  them  now,  and  that  they  cannot  injure  you  any 
more?  " 

Say  Koitza  shook  her  head  gloomily  and  replied,  pointing 
to  her  ear  and  eye, — 

"  Sanaya,  what  the  ear  hears  and  the  eye  sees,  the  heart 
must  fain  believe." 

"  Then  speak  to  me ;  tell  me,  sa  uishe,  what  it  is  that 
your  ear  has  heard,  your  eye  has  seen,  that  makes  your 
heart  so  sad."  The  woman  spoke  softly,  entreatingly, 
as  if  she  was  soothing  a  sick  child.  But  the  object  of  her 
sympathy  sighed,  and  continued,  in  the  same  tone  of  utter 
despondency,  — 

"  Sister,  had  you  been  present  at  the  ayash  tyucotz,  when 
all  the  people  danced  and  sang,  your  eyes  would  have  seen 
what  the  heart  could  not  approve.  I  saw  my  son  Okoya 
Tihua,  the  child  of  Tanyi  hanutsh,  dancing  beside  Mitsha 
Koitza,  the  girl  from  Tyame ;  and  she  is  the  daughter  of  our 
Base  enemy." 

"Is  that  all  that  causes  you  trouble,  koya?"  Shotaye 
yery  placidly  asked. 

"Listen  to  me  further,  yaya,"  Say  entreated.      "This 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  187 

morning  I  took  the  boy  to  task  for  it,  and  then  I  found  out 
that  Mitsha  is  near  to  him,  —  nearer  than  his  own  mother. 
I  discovered  that  he  goes  to  see  her,  and  thus  gets  to  the 
house  of  the  woman  of  whom  they  say  that  she  is  Tyope's 
ear  and  eye,  tongue  and  mouth.  What  do  you  say  to  that, 
sa  tao?" 

Shotaye  smiled.     "  Have  you  ever  spoken  to  Mitsha?" 

"  Never  !  "  exclaimed  Say.  "  How  could  I  speak  to  one 
whose  mother  is  a  sand-viper,  and  whose  father  a  carrion 
crow?  " 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  You  know,"  Say  cried,  "  how  mean  Tyope  is  !  If  my 
child  goes  to  see  his  child,  is  it  not  easy  for  the  young  ser 
pent  to  ask  this  and  that  of  my  son?  Then  she  will  go 
and  tell  the  old  sand-viper,  her  mother,  who  will  whisper  it 
to  Tyope  himself.  Don't  you  see  it,  sister?" 

The  argument  was  forcible,  and  Shotaye  felt  the  truth  of 
it.  The  other  proceeded,  — 

"  Okoya  may  have  been  going  with  the  girl  for  a  long 
while ;  and  I  knew  nothing  of  it.  Have  you  found  out, 
sister,"  —  she  leaned  forward  and  looked  at  her  guest 
with  a  very  earnest  expression,  —  "  how  the  Koshare  have 
learned  about  the  owl's  feathers  in  my  house?" 

The  other  shook  her  head  and  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"Neither  have  I,"  continued  Say;  "but  might  not 
Okoya  — "  The  hand  of  her  friend  closed  her  lips. 

"  Hush  ! "  cried  the  medicine-woman,  imperatively  ; 
"  speak  not,  believe  not,  think  not,  such  a  thing  !  Okoya 
is  good ;  I,  too,  know  the  boy.  He  will  never  do  what 
you  suspect." 

But  Say  was  too  excited  to  listen  to  her.  She  drew 
Shotaye's  hand  away  from  her  mouth  and  exclaimed, — 

"  Remember  that  it  is  but  a  short  time  that  the  Koshare 
have  known  about  the  feathers." 


1 88  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  And  remember,  you,  that  Okoya  is  of  your  own  blood  !  " 

"  He  is  young,  and  the  makatza  has  great  power  over 
him,  for  he  likes  her.  When  Zashue  "  —  her  voice  trembled 
and  she  turned  her  face  away  with  a  suppressed  sigh  — 
"  came  to  me  and  I  went  to  him,  he  often  told  me  things 
about  your  people,  —  things  that  your  hanutsh  would  not 
have  liked,  had  they  known  that  I  knew  of  them." 

"  Hush  !  I  tell  you  again.  Hush,  koitza  !  "  the  othe? 
commanded.  "  Hush  !  or  I  will  never  listen  to  you  anj 
more.  You  loathe  your  own  flesh,  the  very  entrails  that 
have  given  birth  to  the  motatza !  I  tell  you  again,  Okoya 
is  good.  He  is  far  better  than  his  father  !  Thus  much 
I  know,  and  know  it  well."  She  looked  hard  at  the  wife 
of  Zashue,  while  her  lips  disdainfully  curled.  Say  cast 
her  eyes  to  the  ground ;  she  did  not  care  to  learn  about 
her  husband's  outside  affairs. 

It  was  very  still  in  the  dark  room.  Even  the  rain  was 
scarcely  heard ;  and  from  the  ceiling  it  dripped  in  one 
place  only,  —  the  very  spot  where  the  owl's  feathers  had 
lain  buried.  It  seemed  as  if  the  waters  from  heaven 
were  eager  to  assist  in  obliterating  every  trace  of  the  fatal 
tuft.  Shotaye  turned  away  from  her  friend  indignantly; 
the  mere  thought  of  a  mother  accusing  her  child,  and  such 
a  son  as  Okoya,  was  revolting  to  her.  Say  hung  her  head 
and  pouted ;  and  yet  she  felt  that  Shotaye  was  right,  after 
all.  And  then  it  was  so  gratifying  to  hear  from  Shotaye 's 
own  lips  how  good  her  son  was. 

"  Sanaya,"  she  asked  after  a  while,  timidly,  "  tell  me  for 
what  you  came." 

"  No,"  the  other  curtly  answered. 

Say  started.  "  Be  not  angry  with  me,"  she  pleaded.  "I 
do  not  mean  anything  wrong." 

"And  yet  you  slander  your  best  child." 

Sav  Koitza  began  to  sob. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  189 

Shotaye  continued,  angrily, — 

"  You  may  well  weep  !  Whoever  speaks  ill  of  his  own 
blood,  as  you  do,  ought  to  be  sad  and  shed  tears  forever. 
Listen  to  me,  koitza.  Okoya  is  good;  he  will  not  be 
tray  anybody,  and  least  of  all  his  mother.  And  hear  my 
words,  —  Mitsha  also  is  good ;  as  good  as  her  father  is 
bad,  as  wise  as  her  mother  is  foolish.  Even  if  Okoya 
had  found  the  feathers  and  had  told  makatza  of  it,  she 
would  keep  it  to  herself,  and  the  secret  would  lie  buried 
within  her  heart  as  deep  as  if  it  rested  beneath  the  nether 
most  rock  on  which  the  Tetilla  stands.  And  in  the  end 
let  me  tell  you,"  —  she  raised  her  head  defiantly  and  her 
eyes  flashed,  — "  if  Okoya  likes  the  girl  and  she  wants 
him,  they  are  sure  to  come  together.  You  cannot  prevent 
it ;  neither  can  Tyope,  the  tapop,  the  Hotshanyi,  —  not  even 
the  whole  tribe  !  Those  on  high  hold  the  paths  of  our 
lives ;  they  alone  can  do  and  undo,  make  and  unmake."  ~\ 

Say  wept  no  more.  She  was  convinced,  and  lifted  her 
eyes  again. 

"  Mother,"  —  it  was  Shyuote's  voice  which  called  into  the 
outer  room  from  the  court-yard,  —  "  mother,  come  out  and 
look  at  the  fine  rainbow."  With  this  he  dashed  into  the 
inner  door  and  stood  there,  the  very  incarnation  of  dirt. 
He  had  been  playing  at  Delight  Makers  in  the  mud- 
puddles  outside  with  some  of  his  comrades,  and  was 
covered  with  splashes  of  mud  from  head  to  foot.  Say 
bounded  from  her  seat  and  pushed  back  the  forward 
youngster. 

"Who  is  with  you,  sanaya?"  he  inquired,  while  re 
treating. 

"  Nobody,  you  water-mole  !  I  want  to  be  alone.  I 
have  no  time  to  look  at  your  rainbow.  Get  away ! " 
and  she  hustled  him  outside  and  quickly  returned  to  the 
kitchen. 


190  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

But  Shyuote,  not  satisfied  with  his  mother's  statement^ 
rushed  to  the  port-hole  to  see  for  himself.  This  Sho' 
taye  had  expected ;  and  as  soon  as  his  dirty  face  dark 
ened  the  opening,  it  received  a  splash  of  muddy  rain-watei 
that  caused  the  boy  to  desist  from  further  prying. 

After  Say  had  resumed  her  seat  by  the  hearth,  Shotaye 
bent  toward  her  and  whispered,  — 

"  Mark  me,  the  Shiuana  are  with  us ;  the  rainbow  stands 
in  the  skies.  Those  Above  know  that  what  I  speak  to 
you  is  the  truth."  Okoya's  mother  nodded ;  she  was  fully 
convinced. 

The  cave-dweller  took  up  the  former  subject  again. 
r"  " Do  not  misunderstand  me,  sister,"  she  said ;  "I  do 
not  say  that  it  is  well  that  Okoya  should  go  to  the  house 
of  the  girl's  mother.  There  is  danger  in  it.  But  your 
son  is  careful  and  wise,  and  Mitsha  is  good,  as  good  as 
our  mother  on  high.  Therefore  don't  cross  his  path ;  let 
him  go  as  he  pleases;  and  if  Mitsha  should  come  to 
you,  be  kind  to  her,  for  she  deserves  it.  All  this,  how 
ever," —  the  tone  of  her' voice  changed  suddenly,  —  "is  not 
what  I  came  to  see  you  for.  What  I  have  to  tell  you 
concerns  me  and  you  alone.  Keep  it  precious,  as  pre 
cious  as  the  green  stone  hidden  in  the  heart  of  the  yaya ; 
and  whatever  may  happen,  be  silent  about  it,  as  silent 
as  the  mountain.  Keep  your  lips  closed  against  every 
body  until  the  time  comes  when  we  must  speak." 

Say  nodded  eagerly,  and  Shotaye  was  fully  satisfied  with 
the  mute  pledge,  for  she  knew  that  the  woman  dared  not 
betray  her. 

"  Believe  me,"  she  continued,  "  your  life  is  safe.  You 
will  not,  you  cannot,  be  harmed." 

Say  Koitza  looked  at  her  in  surprise ;  she  could  nol 
realize  the  truth  of  these  hopeful  tidings. 

"  They  found  nothing  in  your  house,"  resumed  the  othei; 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  191 

"  because,  I  presume,  you  removed  the  feathers  in  time,  and 
in  this  you  were  wise.  If  Tyope  says  that  he  saw  you  hold 
ing  owl's  feathers  in  your  hands,  and  you  have  not  kept 
them,  who  can  speak  against  you  at  the  council?  Rest 
assured  of  one  thing.  Tyope  is  at  the  bottom  of  all  our 
troubles,  and  unless  he  or  somebody  else  watched  you  while 
you  buried  the  hapi  at  the  foot  of  the  beams  on  which 
the  Koshare  go  up  to  their  cave,  nobody  will  believe  him 
when  he  rises  against  you.  Are  you  sure,"  she  added, 
"that  nobody  saw  you?" 

"They  were  all  up  there,  so  Zashue  himself  told  me." 

"Tyope,  also?" 

"Tyope,"  Say  replied  with  animation, — "I  saw  Tyope. 
He  was  outside,  clinging  to  the  rock  on  high  like  a  squirrel 
to  a  tree.  But  he  could  not  see  me." 

"Then,  child,  you  are  safe ;  let  them  do  as  they  please." 

"But  if  he  comes  and  says,  'I  saw  Say  and  Shotaye  with 
black  corn,  and  owl's  feathers  on  it ;  and  I  heard  them  ask 
of  the  evil  corn  to  speak  to  them'?" 

"  Then  everybody  will  say,  '  Shotaye  is  a  witch,  Say  only 
her  tool ;  we  must  punish  Shotaye,  she  must  be  killed,'  and 
that  will  be  the  end  of  it." 

She  brought  her  face  so  close  to  that  of  her  friend  that 
the  latter,  while  unable  to  see  her  features,  clearly  felt  her 
breath.  The  last  words  of  the  medicine-woman  shocked 
Say.  She  stood  toward  Shotaye  almost  in  the  relation  of  a 
helpless  child,  and  the  thought  of  seeing  her  friend  exposed 
to  death  produced  a  feeling  of  dismay  and  sadness. 

"But,  sanaya,"  she  asked,  "how  can  they  harm  you  and 
let  me  go  free  ?  Am  I  not  as  guilty  as  you  ?  What  you  did, 
was  it  not  for  me,  for  my  good  ?  Why  may  I  not  go  along 
if  they  send  you  to  our  mother  at  Shipapu?" 

"Hush,  sa  uishe,"  the  other  retorted.  "Do  not  speak 
thus.  I  have  led  you  to  do  things  which  those  on  high  do 


192  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

not  like,  so  I  alone  must  suffer.  Nevertheless  "  —  she  laid 
her  hand  on  the  other's  lap  —  "  rest  easy ;  I  shall  not  die." 

In  her  simplicity,  Say,  when  Shotaye  mentioned  the 
probability  of  her  suffering  capital  punishment,  had  not 
thought  of  her  children  and  of  the  consequences  that  would 
arise  in  case  she  herself  were  to  share  that  fate.  She  felt 
greatly  relieved  upon  hearing  the  cave-woman  speak  so 
hopefully  of  her  own  case,  for  she  bethought  herself  of  those 
whom  she  would  leave  motherless.  But  her  curiosity  was 
raised  to  the  highest  pitch.  Eager  and  anxious  to  learn 
upon  what  grounds  Shotaye  based  her  assurance  of  safety, 
Say  nestled  close  to  her  side  in  order  not  to  lose  a  syllable 
of  the  talk.  It  was  necessary,  for  Shotaye  proceeded  in  a 
slow  solemn  whisper, — 

"  Sister,  I  shall  be  accused  and  you  will  be  accused  also. 
If  you  are  brought  before  the  council,  and  they  ask  you 
about  our  doings,  deny  everything,  say  no  to  everything, 
except  when  the  black  corn  is  spoken  of.  That  you  may 
confess.  They  will  inquire  of  you  why  we  used  the  evil 
cobs.  Answer,  and  mark  well  my  words,  that  you  did  not 
understand  what  I  was  doing,  that  you  only  did  what  I  told 
you  to  do.  Lay  all  the  blame  on  me." 

"  But  it  is  not  true,"  the  little  woman  objected. 

"  Never  mind,  provided  you  go  free." 

"They,  then,  will  kill  you  !  "     Say  cried. 

"  Be  not  concerned  about  me ;  I  will  save  myself." 

"  How  can  you  ?  " 

"  That  is  my  secret ;  still  this  I  will  confide  to  you ;  " 
her  whisper  became  scarcely  audible  as  she  added,  "  I  shall 
flee  ! " 

"Whither?"  gasped  Say  in  surprise. 

"  To  the  Tehuas  !  But,  sa  tao,  be  silent,  as  silent  as  the 
stone,  as  quiet  as  kohaio  when  in  winter  he  is  asleep.  What 
ever  you  may  hear,  heed  it  not ;  what  you  may  see,  do  not 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  193 

notice.  Deny  everything  you  can  deny,  and  what  you 
have  to  confess  lay  on  me.  Do  as  I  tell  you,  sa  uishe,"  she 
insisted,  as  Say  moved  uneasily,  "  and  trust  to  me  for  the 
rest." 

Shotaye  arose,  shook  her  wet  garments,  and  stepped  into 
the  outer  room.  There  she  turned  around  once  more,  and 
repeated  in  a  low  but  impressive  voice, — 

"  Sa  tao,  trust  in  me,  and  believe  also  that  Okoya  is  good, 
and  Mitsha  better  yet.  Be  kind  to  both  and  be  silent." 

She  stepped  into  the  court-yard,  and  Say  Koitza  remained 
standing  in  the  doorway. 

The  rain  had  ceased  ;  the  sky  was  clear  again,  all  ablaze 
with  the  richest  golden  hues  over  the  crest  of  the  big 
houses.  It  was  near  sunset.  Say  watched  her  friend  as 
she  went  to  the  entrance ;  and  as  Shotaye's  form  vanished  in 
the  dark  passage  Okoya  emerged  from  it,  coming  toward  his 
mother,  slowly,  shyly,  but  with  a  smile  on  his  countenance. 
That  was  surely  a  good  omen,  and  she  anticipated  the 
timid  "  guatzena  "  with  which  he  was  about  to  greet  her  by 
a  warm  and  pleasant  "  raua  opona." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  interview  between  Okoya  and  Hayoue,  which  took 
place  at  almost  the  same  time  that  Shotaye  fell  in  with  the 
Tehua  Indian  on  the  mesa,  had  completely  changed  the 
mind  of  Say  Koitza's  eldest  son,  and  turned  his  thoughts 
into  another  channel.  He  saw  clearly  now  to  what  extent 
he  had  been  led  astray  by  mere  imagination,  —  to  what  sin 
ister  depths  his  reasoning  had  carried  him.  Since  Hayoue's 
talk,  Okoya  felt  like  another  man.  The  world  of  his 
thoughts,  limited  as  it  was  still,  appeared  now  in  rosy  hues, 
hope-inspiring  and  encouraging  hi  spite  of  all  obstacles. 
These  obstacles  he  saw  in  then-  true  light,  and  the  last 
warning  of  Hayoue  had  made  a  deep  impression.  But 
obstacles  clearly  understood  are  half  surmounted  already, 
and  "threatened  people  live  long." 

It  is  not  good  for  man  to  be  alone.  Okoya  had  felt  the 
truth  of  it  bitterly.  Now  that  he  knew  that  he  was  not 
forsaken,  he  was  filled  with  strength  and  vigour.  On  the 
whole,  an  Indian  is  much  less  exposed  to  isolation  than  a 
white  man,  for  his  clan  and,  in  a  wider  range,  his  tribe, 
stand  by  him  against  outside  danger ;  but  when  that  dan 
ger  arises  within  the  narrow  circle  of  constant  surround 
ings  there  is  imminent  peri.  Okoya  had  fancied  that  such 
peril  threatened  his  own  existence,  and  that  he  stood  alone 
and  unsupported.  Now  he  saw  that  in  any  event  he  would 
be  neither  abandoned  nor  forsaken,  and  this  imparted  to 
his  spirit  a  degree  of  buoyancy  which  he  had  never  ex 
perienced  before. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  19$ 

When  he  issued  from  the  cave  where  both  his  uncle  and 
he  had  found  shelter,  the  storm  was  over,  and  nature  had 
assumed  a  different  aspect.  A  heavy  shower  in  the  moun 
tains  of  New  Mexico  is  often  followed  by  illuminations  of 
peculiar  beauty.  So  it  happened  then.  The  west,  where 
the  sun  had  already  descended  behind  the  mountains,  was 
crossed  by  a  series  of  arches  displaying  successively  from 
below  upward  the  most  resplendent  gold,  bright  orange, 
green,  and  finally  deep  blue  colours.  In  the  eastern  skies 
the  storm-king  hovered  still  in  a  mass  of  inky  clouds  above 
the  horizon,  but  these  clouds  had  receded  beyond  the 
graceful  cone  of  the  Tetilla,  which  stood  out  in  front  of 
the  dark  mass  of  the  storm  sharply  defined,  with  a  rosy  hue 
cast  over  every  detail  of  its  slopes.  The  air  was  of  wonder 
ful  transparency,  and  every  tint  of  the  brilliant  heavens 
above  and  in  the  west  seemed  to  reproduce  itself  with  in 
creased  intensity,  on  the  dark,  cloudy  bank  in  the  east,  in 
the  dazzling  arch  of  a  magnificent  rainbow.  The  rays  of  the 
setting  sun  no  longer  penetrated  the  depths  of  the  vale, 
they  only  grazed  the  moisture-dripping  tops  of  the  tallest 
pines,  changing  them  into  pyramids  of  sparkling  light. 

Okoya  looked  at  the  scenery  before  him,  but  its  beauty 
was  not  what  caused  him  to  gaze  and  to  smile.  The  Indian 
is  quite  indifferent  to  the  sights  of  nature,  except  from  the 
stand-point  of  strictest  and  plainest  utilitarianism.  The 
rainbow  fascinated  the  boy,  not  through  its  brilliancy  and 
the  perfection  of  the  arch,  but  because  the  rainbow  was 
in  his  conception  Shiuana,  and  a  messenger  from  Those 
Above.1  Where  the  ends  of  the  luminous  arch  appear  to  ] 
rest,  a  message  from  heaven  is  said  to  be  deposited.  No 
more  favourable  token  could  have  greeted  him,  for  although 

1  In  the  symbolical  paintings  of  the  Pueblos,  the  rainbow  is  repre 
sented  usually  as  a  tri-coloured  arch  with  a  head  and  arms  at  one  en<J 
and  with  feet  at  the  other.  It  is  a  female  deity. 


196  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

the  message  was  not  for  him,  since  the  brilliant  bow  seemed 
to  stand  far  off  from  the  Rito,  still  the  Shiuana,  the  spirits, 
graced  the  sky  with  their  presence.  They  appeared  clad  in 
the  brightest  hues,  and  what  is  bright  and  handsome  is  to 
the  Indian  a  harbinger  of  good. 

No  wonder,  therefore,  that  the  boy  greeted  his  mother 
with  a  happy  face  and  a  pleasant  smile.  He  had  passed 
Shotaye  in  the  entrance,  and  his  salutation  to  her  was  widely 
different  from  the  gruff  notice  he  had  taken  of  her  in  the 
morning.  When,  afterward,  he  met  his  mother's  gaze  and 
saw  how  kindly  she  looked  at  him,  how  warm  her  invitation 
to  come  in  sounded,  his  heart  bounded  with  delight,  and  he 
obeyed  her  summons  with  a  deep  sigh  of  relief.  His  ap 
pearance  was  not  very  prepossessing,  for  between  the  caves 
and  the  big  house  a  number  of  newly  created  mud-puddles 
and  rivulets  had  crossed  his  path.  His  scanty  clothing  was 
profusely  bespattered,  and  broad  cakes  of  mud  clung  to  the 
soles  of  his  naked  feet.  Before  entering  the  house  he 
carelessly  shook  off  and  scraped  away  the  heaviest  flakes, 
and  then  went  in  and  sat  down  on  the  bundle  of  skins. 
Say  Koitza  offered  him  no  change  of  clothing ;  she  did  not 
bring  a  pair  of  slippers,  warm  and  dry,  for  his  wet  feet.  No, 
she  simply  went  into  the  kitchen  and  let  him  alone.  Such 
is  the  Indian  custom.  But  in  the  kitchen  she  began  to 
move  about.  She  was  cooking,  and  that  proved  beyond  a 
doubt  that  everything  must  be  right  again.  After  a  while 
she  squatted  in  the  inner  doorway  and  inquired, — 

"  Where  were  you  while  it  was  raining  ?  " 

"  With  Hayoue." 

"  How  late  did  he  come  home  ?  "  She  laughed ;  he 
chimed  in  and  answered,  — 

"  Late  enough ;  I  had  to  wait  a  long  time  before  he 
came,  and  so  sleepy  was  he,  —  as  tired  and  sleepy  as  a 
bear  in  spring." 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  197 

"  Do  you  know  where  he  spent  the  night  ?  "  The  tone 
of  the  conversation  sounded  easy  and  pleasant. 

"  I  don't  know  the  name  of  the  makatza,"  — here  Okoya 
laughed  again  and  his  mother  caught  the  contagion,  —  "  but 
she  must  belong  to  Oshatsh.  He  did  not  say  much,  for  he 
was  tired  from  yesterday." 

"  Was  she  a  short,  stumpy  girl  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  It  must  have  been  the  same  one  with 
whom  he  was  at  the  dance.  I  paid  no  attention  to  her." 

"  It  is  Haatze ;  I  know  her.  She  is  a  strong  girl  and 
tall." 

"  Do  you  think  he  goes  to  see  her?  "  Okoya  asked. 

"  It  may  be,  and  it  may  be  not.  Hayoue  goes  to  every 
one ;  he  is  like  a  fly,  —  he  sits  down  everywhere  and  stops 
nowhere." 

Okoya  enjoyed  hugely  his  mother's  joke.  The  latter 
with  some  hesitancy  continued, — • 

"Does  he  also  visit  Mitsha  Koitza?  " 

Okoya  bent  down  to  avoid  her  glance,  then  he  resolutely 
replied,  — 

"  No." 

"Are  you  sure  of  it?" 

"  I  am  sure."     He  cast  a  furtive  glance  at  his  mother. 

"Did  Mitsha  tell  you?" 

Not  in  the  harsh  tone  of  an  inquisitor  were  these  words 
uttered.  Say  spoke  them  softly,  gently ;  and  Okoya  was 
comforted.  He  was  moved  by  the  question. 

"  No,"  he  replied  in  the  same  manner ;  "  Hayoue  spoke 
to  me  about  it." 

Say  felt  a  decided  relief.  It  was  clear  to  her  now  where 
Okoya  had  spent  the  day,  and  how  he  had  spent  it.  She 
liked  her  husband's  younger  brother  and  trusted  him.  Al 
though  very  fond  of  the  other  sex,  Hayoue  was  still  honest 
and  trustworthy  in  everything  else.  Her  son  had  evidently 


198  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

spoken  to  his  uncle  about  Mitsha,  and  in  Say's  estimation 
he  could  not  have  chosen  a  better  person  in  whom  to 
confide.  Hayoue,  she  knew,  harboured  toward  Tyope 
sentiments  akin  to  her  own.  His  advice  to  Okoya  must 
therefore  have  been  sound.  On  the  other  hand  she  was 
herself,  since  the  talk  with  Shotaye,  greatly  drawn  toward 
Mitsha.  This  made  her  anxious  to  find  out  what  Hayoue 
thought  of  the  girl.  So  she  put  the  direct  question,  — 

"  You  spoke  with  your  nashtio  about  Mitsha  ?  " 

"  I  did." 

"What  says  he  of  the  makatza?" 

Had  the  room  been  better  lighted  Say  would  have  seen 
how  flushed  Okoya's  face  became,  notwithstanding  the 
tawny  colour  of  his  complexion.  The  boy  saw  at  once 
that  he  had  confessed  much  more  than  he  had  intended, 
—  that  the  secret  of  his  interview  of  the  morning  wa? 
divulged.  Recede  he  could  not ;  neither  could  he  con 
ceal  his  embarrassment.  He  began  to  twist  the  end  of 
his  wrap,  and  stammered, — 

"  He  says  not  much."  And  then  he  stared  at  the  door 
way  with  that  stolid  air  which  the  Indian  assumes  when  he 
is  in  trouble. 

"  Does  he  speak  good  or  ill  ?  "  Say  insisted. 

"Good,"  muttered  Okoya,  casting  his  eyes  to  th<, 
ground.  The  mild,  soft  smile  which  played  over  his 
mother's  features  as  he  uttered  the  word  escaped  him. 
When  he  raised  his  eyes  again  her  looks  were  serious, 
though  not  stern.  He  was  completely  bewildered.  Wha* 
had  occurred  to  cause  his  mother  to  speak  in  this  man 
ner?  Had  she  changed  her  mind  since  morning,  and 
why  so  suddenly?  He  had,  of  course,  no  thought  o( 
attributing  to  Shotaye  and  to  her  influence  this  surpris 
ingly  favourable  change,  for  he  did  not  know  the  inti 
mate  relations  existing  between  her  and  his  mother.  S ' 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS  199 

he  remained  silent,  staring,  wrapped  in  his  own  musings. 
His  mother  looked  at  him  in  silence  also,  but  with  a  half- 
suppressed  smile. 

At  last  she  asked, — 

"Sa  uishe,  will  you  eat?" 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  considerably  relived  by  this  turn 
in  the  conversation.  He  rose  and  moved  briskly  toward 
the  entrance  to  the  cooking  apartment;  but  Say  held  him 
back. 

"Tell  me,  but  tell  me  the  truth;  did  Hayoue  say  it  was 
well  for  you  to  go  with  Mitsha?" 

Okoya  was  so  embarrassed  by  this  direct  query  that 
he  could  not  answer  at  once.  He  stood  still  and  hung 
his  head. 

"Tell  me,  child,"  Say  insisted. 

"He  said" — the  words  were  scarcely  audible — "that 
it  was  well." 

"Did  he  also  say  it  was  good  for  you  to  listen  to  the 
words  of  Tyope  and  his  woman?" 

Now  light  began  to  dawn  upon  the  boy.  He  felt  a  pre 
sentiment  of  something  favourable.  "No,"  he  exclaimed, 
"he  said  that  I  must  beware  of  Tyope  and  of  his  koitza; 
but  that  Mitsha  I  could  trust." 

"Then  it  is  well,  sa  uishe,"  replied  the  mother;  "come 
in  and  eat." 

Okoya  could  hardly  believe  his  senses.  Had  his  mother 
really  said,  "It  is  well?"  Was  it  possible  that  she  was 
satisfied  and  in  sympathy  with  his  feeling  toward  Mitsha? 
Such  was  his  surprise  that  he  performed  his  prayers  before 
squatting  down  to  the  meal  without  a  thought  of  the  ko- 
pishtai,  to  whom  he  scattered  crumbs  mechanically.  He 
forgot  to  eat,  and  stared  like  a  blind  man  with  eyes  wide 
open,  heedless  of  the  food,  heedless  of  everything  around 
him. 


200  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Eat,"  said  Say  to  him.  Twice  she  repeated  the  invi 
tation  ere  he  came  to  himself  and  reached  out  for  the  first 
morsel.  Aware  of  his  mute  astonishment  and  conscious  of 
his  perplexity,  his  mother  finally  asked,  — 

"What  is  the  matter  with  you,  motatza?" 

He  merely  shook  his  head  and  stared. 

Very  few  young  Indians  in  Okoya's  condition  would  have 
placed  so  much  stress  on  their  mother's  consent  or  dissent. 
All  or  nearly  all  of  them  would  simply  have  left  the  old 
home  and  would  have  joined  their  betrothed  at  her  mother's 
house ;  and  only  the  clan,  and  not  the  family,  could  have 
interfered  with  their  action.  In  the  case  of  Okoya  it  was 
different,  and  unusual  circumstances  complicated  the  matter. 
Mitsha's  clan  was  that  of  Topanashka,  his  own  maternal 
grandfather;  and  if  he  spoke  against  the  union  matters 
would  be  desperate.  His  mother,  therefore,  held  the  key 
to  the  situation,  inasmuch  as  through  her  both  the  Eagle 
clan,  to  which  Mitsha  belonged,  and  Tanyi  hanutsh,  his 
own  consanguine  cluster,  could  be  favourably  or  unfavour 
ably  influenced.  As  things  appeared  now,  all  seemed  most 
promising.  Even  his  mother  —  who  a  short  time  ago  had 
expressed  herself  so  bitterly  against  his  choice  —  was  now 
favourable  to  it.  What  could  Tyope  do  under  such  cir 
cumstances  ?  Nothing  at  all.  So  the  boy  reasoned  uncon- 
f  sciously ;  but  beside,  he  felt  glad,  he  felt  happy,  because 
his  mother  approved  of  him.  He  was  fond  of  his  mother 
at  the  bottom  of  his  heart,  asJond  .as  any  Indian  canjbe. 

Say  Koitza  approved  his  choice.  There  was  no  doubt 
about  it,  and  still  she  had  not  spoken  plainly  as  yet.  At 
any  other  time  he  would  have  maintained  a  prudent  reserve 
and  waited  his  time  to  inquire.  To-day  he  felt  so  surprised, 
so  completely  stupefied,  that  only  one  course  was  left  him, 
and  that  was  to  learn  her  real  feelings  by  asking  his  mother 
directly  for  an  explanation  of  her  inexplicable  demeanoui. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2OI 

When,  therefore,  Say  asked  again,  "  What  ails  you,  motatza, 
why  don't  you  eat?"  he  turned  to  her  with  a  heavy  sigh, 
placed  both  hands  on  his  knees,  and  replied,  — 

"  I  cannot  eat  until  I  have  asked  a  question  of  you.  Tell 
me,  yaya,  how  it  is  that  this  morning,  when  I  said  to  you 
that  I  was  going  with  Mitsha  Koitza,  you  grew  angry  at 
me,  and  now  you  say  it  is  right?  Tell  me,  sanaya,  how 
it  comes  about  that  you  like  the  girl  in  the  evening,  whereas 
in  the  morning  she  was  not  precious  to  you  ?  " 

His  mother  smiled.  She  sat  down  beside  him,  and  her 
face  almost  touched  his  own.  The  glare  of  the  fire  illumi 
nated  her  features,  so  that  their  expression  became  fully 
visible  to  him.  Then  she  spoke  softly,  — 

"  Umo,  have  I  not  often  said  to  you,  '  Beware  of  Tyope'  ? 
Is  it  not  so,  sa  uishe  ?  " 

Okoya  nodded  affirmatively. 

"  Can  you  suppose  that  I  should  feel  easy  at  heart,  if  you 
go  to  the  house  where  dwells  the  woman  of  that  man?  " 

Okoya  trembled.  This  was  a  discouraging  beginning. 
Had  he  mistaken  his  mother's  views?  In  a  faltering 
voice  he  replied,  — 

"  No." 

Say  continued,  "When  for  the  first  time  you  said, 
'  Mitsha  and  I  see  each  other,'  I  felt  afraid.  My  heart  spoke 
to  me  and  said,  Your  child  is  lost;  and  then  sa  nashka 
became  angry.  This  was  early  in  the  morning ;  but  after 
ward,  when  I  was  sitting  alone  here  and  the  Shiuana  called 
loudly  above  during  the  storm,  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  some 
kopishtai  whispered,  *  Mitsha  is  good,  —  she  is  as  good  as 
Okoya;  she  will  belong  to  him,  and  not  to  her  mother, 
much  less  to  her  father.'  And  as  I  was  thinking,  I  heard 
the  kopishtai  again,  saying  to  me,  '  Okoya  is  good ;  he  is 
your  child,  and  Mitsha  will  become  your  daughter,  for 
she  is  of  your  father's  own  blood.'  And  as  the  kopishtai 


202  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

thus  spoke,  the  Shiuana  thundered  louder  and  more  loud, 
Then  I  thought  it  must  be  right  and  good  for  the  motatza 
to  go  to  the  girl,  and  I  was  no  longer  angry.  And  then 
you  came,  and  I  asked  you  what  I  wanted  to  know,  and 
you  told  me  what  Hayoue  had  said.  So  it  is  well,  and 
thus  it  shall  remain." 

The  sigh  of  relief  heaved   by  Okoya   at   hearing   these 
words  was   as   sincere   as   it  was   deep.     He   had   barely 
strength  to  ask  in  the  meekest  manner  possible, — 
"  Then  you  have  nothing  against  my  going  to  Mitsha?  " 
"  Nothing ;    I   like  to   see  you  go,  for  Mitsha  is  good 
and  "  —  her  voice  became  a  whisper  —  "  the  Shiuana  have 
thus  disposed  it.     But "  —  she  spoke  louder  again —  "  hear 
me,  go  to  Mitsha,  and  to  her  alone." 

"  But  I  cannot  disown  her  mother  and  father." 
"  You  need  do  nothing  of  the  kind  unless  you  wish.  Be 
pleasant  to  the  man,  as  behooves  you,  but  be  careful. 
Never  say  sanaya  is  doing  this  or  that,  or  to-day  they  speak 
so  or  so  at  the  estufa.  If  Tyope  queries  what  is  your  yaya 
doing,  answer,  her  usual  work.  If  he  inquires  about  what 
is  going  on  in  the  estufa  of  Tanyi  hanutsh,  reply  to  him, 
'Nashtio,  I  am  only  a  boy,  and  do  not  know  what  the 
men  talk  about.'  To  Tyope's  wife  say  nothing  but  what 
even  Shyuote  might  hear.  To  the  makatza  you  can  say, 
"Let  us  be  together  and  live  for  each  other  and  talk  as  is 
right.  What  concerns  your  hanutsh  shall  be  hidden  from 
me,  and  I  will  be  silent  on  anything  that  concerns  mine.' 
If  you  will  do  thus,  sa  uishe,  then  you  can  go  to  see 
Mitsha;  and  I  myself  would  like  to  see  the  girl  who  is  to 
become  my  child." 

This  was  too  much  for  Okoya.  He  grasped  with  both 
his  hands  the  hand  of  his  mother,  carried  it  to  his  lips,  and 
breathed  on  it.  Then  he  gave  back  the  hand,  and  said 
with  an  e^ort, — 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  203 

"  You  are  good,  yaya,  and  I  will  do  as  you  say.  Hayoue 
said  to  me  the  same  things  you  have." 

"  Hayoue  is  a  true  friend.  His  tongue  is  like  his  heart, 
and  you  did  right  in  taking  his  advice." 

A  tall  figure  stepped  into  the  apartment  with  a  shuffling 
step.  His  loud  greeting,  "  guatzena,"  cut  off  further  talk  for 
a  moment.  Both  mother  and  son,  taken  by  surprise, 
answered,  — 

"  Raua  A." 

It  was  Hayoue  himself  who  thus  suddenly  appeared.  He 
complied  with  the  request  to  sit  down,  and  afterward  with 
the  customary  invitation  to  eat.  But  he  seemed  as  much 
surprised  as  the  inmates  themselves ;  for  while  eating,  his 
glance  flitted  inquiringly  from  mother  to  son,  as  if  he  were 
astonished  to  see  them  together.  When  he  had  finished, 
he  asked,  — 

"When  will  Zashue  be  here?" 

"  I  do  not  know,"  replied  Say. 

Hayoue  turned  to  his  nephew,  — 

"  Okoya,  will  you  let  me  speak  to  your  yaya  alone?" 
These  words  he  accompanied  with  a  knowing  wink  at  the 
young  man.  It  amused  Okoya  to  see  that  his  uncle  came 
so  decidedly  postfestum  in  the  matter,  but  he  at  once  rose 
and  went  out. 

In  the  court- yard  it  was  still  very  damp,  and  hardly  any 
body  was  outside  of  the  dwellings ;  but  from  the  estufas 
there  sounded  merry  talking,  singing,  and  the  beating  of 
drums.  Okoya  stood  a  while  in  the  doorway,  undecided 
whether  he  ought  not  to  go  to  Mitsha  at  once.  He 
wavered,  but  at  last  the  impressions  received  during  the 
day,  especially  the  warnings  about  Mitsha's  mother,  pre 
vailed,  and  he  concluded  not  to  go  at  this  time.  He  was 
afraid  as  yet  to  cross  the  threshold  of  that  woman's  home. 
So  he  crept  into  the  estufa  of  Tanyi  hanutsh,  sat  down  be- 


204  777^  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

side  the  others,  and  soon  joined  in  the  chorus  of  discordant 
voices  in  the  everlasting  refrain, — 

"  Ho-a-a  I     Heiti-na !     Ho-a-a  !     Heiti-na  ! " 

In  the  meantime  Hayoue  had  drawn  closer  to  Say  in  the 
kitchen,  saying, — 

"  Sister-in-law,  I  have  come  to  speak  to  you  concerning 
Okoya." 

She  motioned  to  him  to  remain  where  he  was,  and  said, 
half  in  jest,  half  in  earnest, — 

"  Stay  where  you  are,  I  hear  you.  You  talk  loud  enough 
for  me." 

'•'  Rest  easy,  saman,"  he  replied,  with  a  peal  of  laughter 
that  fairly  shook  his  tall  and  slender  form.  "  Have  no 
fear,  I  am  tired  out  after  yesterday.  But  I  must  talk  to 
you  about  the  motatza."  He  patted  his  knees  and  looked 
straight  into  her  face.  "  Are  you  aware  that  your  child 
goes  with  the  child  of  Tyope  ?  " 

"  I  am,"  said  Say,  with  a  smile. 

"What  do  you  think  of  it?" 

"  Good,"  was  the  simple  reply.     "  And  you  ?  " 

"  Good,  yes,  in  one  way,  and  not  good  in  another." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  girl  ?  "  the  woman  inquired. 

"  Very,  very  good  ! "  Hayoue  emphatically  exclaimed. 
"  But  her  mother  and  her  father,"  —  he  hissed  through  his 
teeth  and  shook  his  head  with  every  sign  of  disgust,  —  "  they 
are  very,  very  bad." 

"I  think  as  you  do,"  said  Okoya's  mother,  "and  yet 
I  know  that  the  boy  is  good  and  the  girl  is  good.  Why 
should  they  not  go  together?" 

"  I  say  the  same,  but  how  comes  it  that  you  believe 
so  now?" 

"  I  presume  the  motatza  has  told  you  a  different  story?  " 
Say  suggested,  with  a  smile. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  205 

Hayoue  nodded. 

"  I  thought  differently,"  she  explained,  "  but  now  my 
heart  has  changed." 

"  You  are  right,"  the  young  man  said  approvingly,  add 
ing,  "  but  he  must  avoid  the  snares  which  that  turkey- 
buzzard  Tyope  may  set  for  him,  and  we  must  preserve 
him  from  them." 

"  I  warned  him." 

"  So  have  I,  and  he  promised  to  be  wise." 

"Had  we  not  better  speak  to  Zashue?"  suggested  Say 
Koitza. 

Hayoue  remained  thoughtful  for  a  while ;  then  he  said,  — 

"  I  dislike  to  say  aught  against  my  own  brother,  but  in  this 
matter  I  dislike  to  speak  to  him." 

"He  is  Okoya's  father,"  objected  Say. 

"  True,  but  he  is  Koshare,  and  completely  under  Tyope's 
influence.  Nevertheless  do  as  you  like,  for  you  know  him 
better  than  I  do." 

"  He  ought  to  come  soon,"  Say  said,  and  rose. 

She  went  out.  A  noise  of  quarrelling  children  was  ap 
proaching  the  door.  Soon  she  clearly  distinguished  the 
voice  of  Shyuote  scolding. 

"  Come  with  me,  worm  !  Go  home,  frog  !  "  he  yelled, 
and  mournful  cries  succeeded  to  his  kind  invitation.  At 
the  same  time  his  young  sister,  propelled  by  a  violent  push 
of  his  fist,  stumbled  into  the  outer  room  and  grasped  the 
dress  of  her  mother  for  protection. 

"Satyumishe  is  beating  me,"  whined  the  little  one, 
glancing  anxiously  toward  the  entrance.  In  the  doorway 
appeared  Shyuote  himself,  a  solid  lump  of  mud  from  head 
to  foot.  His  black  eyes  stared  out  of  the  dirty  coating  that 
covered  his  face,  like  living  coals.  The  appearance  of  his 
mother  put  an  end  to  his  hostile  actions,  —  he  felt  uncertain 
about  the  manner  in  which  they  would  be  viewed  by  his 


206  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

parent.  Say  quickly  changed  his  forebodings  into  absolute 
certainty. 

"  Are  you  not  ashamed  of  yourself,  you  big,  ugly  uak, " 
she  scolded,  "to  beat  your  poor  little  sister?" 

"  She  would  not  come  home." 

"  Neither  would  you,  lazy  brat,  else  you  would  have  been 
here  a  long  while  ago  !  Do  not  cry,  my  heart,"  —  she  turned 
to  the  weeping  child,  —  "  do  not  weep.  He  will  not  hurt 
you  any  more,  the  bad,  bad  mocking-bird.  Weep  not." 
She  took  the  crying  child  into  her  arms  in  order  to  carry 
her  into  the  kitchen,  but  on  the  way  she  turned  back  and 
called,  — 

"Shyuote!" 

"What  do  you  want,"  growled  the  boy,  and  stumbled 
after  her. 

"  Do  you  know  where  your  nashtio  is  ?  " 

"  He  is  coming." 

"  Go  and  tell  him  to  come.  Say  that  Hayoue  is  here, 
and  that  he  wants  to  see  him." 

"Did  I  not  tell  you  that  he  was  coming?  "  muttered  the 
unruly  lad.  This  answer  was  too  much  for  Hayoue,  who 
until  now  had  been  a  mere  listener.  He  said  in  a  peculiar 
tone  of  command, — 

"Will  you  go  or  not,  you  silly,  lazy,  good-for-nothing 
whelp !  Go  at  once,  or  I  will  lead  you  where  your  father 
is;"  and  he  pretended  to  rise. 

Shyuote  had  not  noticed  the  presence  of  his  uncle.  His 
sudden  appearance  upon  the  scene  was  to  him  an  unwelcome 
sight,  and  he  sped  away  with  unusual  and  commendable 
alacrity.  Hayoue  was  greatly  amused  and  laughed  aloud. 

"  That  urchin,"  he-  said,  "  is  more  afraid  of  me  than  of 
Zashue  and  you  together.  The  brat  is  no  good,  and  will 
never  do  for  anything  but  a  Koshare.  How  different  is 
Okova ! " 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  207 

Say  had  again  squatted  near  the  hearth.  She  gathered 
the  crying  child  into  her  arms.  The  little  girl  continued  to 
sob  for  a  while,  and  at  first  refused  to  eat.  Finally  Say  per 
suaded  her  to  take  one  of  the  corn-cakes,  and  still  sobbing, 
she  pushed  the  greater  portion  of  it  gradually  into  her  little 
mouth.  Thus  chewing,  sobbing,  and  resting  on  the  lap  of 
her  mother,  the  child  forgot  all  fear,  and  ultimately  forgot 
herself  and  fell  asleep. 

"  Umo,"  Say  began  again,  "  I  think  it  is  better  to  speak 
to  Zashue  about  it.  Not  that  he  has  anything  to  do  in  the 
matter,  but  then  you  know  how  it  is.  Sooner  or  later  he 
must  hear  of  it,  and  if  we  tell  him  first  he  may  perhaps  as 
sist  us  in  teaching  Okoya  and  advising  him  about  the  future. 
All  the  boy  needs  is  counsel,  for  we  cannot  prevent  him  from 
going  to  live  with  the  people  of  Tyame  hanutsh  with  this 
girl." 

"  The  people  of  Tyame,"  Hayoue  remarked,  "  are  good. 
It  is  only  that  woman  of  Tyope's  who  is  bad,  and  after  all 
she  is  not  all-powerful." 

"  How  would  it  do,"  suggested  Say,  "  to  call  sa  nashtio?  " 

Hayoue  looked  at  her  like  one  to  whom  has  come  a 
sudden  revelation. 

"  Topanashka,  the  maseua,"  he  said ;  "  you  are  right, 
koya,  this  is  a  wise  thought.  Nashtio  is  very  wise.  He 
will  give  us  counsel  that  we  can  trust,  but  do  you  think 
he  is  here  ?  " 

"  He  was  in  his  cell  while  it  rained." 

Hayoue  rose.  "  I  will  go  and  call  him,"  he  said.  "  He 
can  help  us.  Zashue  listens  to  the  talk  of  the  old  man, 
and  what  he  says  goes  far  with  my  brother."  With  this 
Hayoue,  ere  Say  could  interpose  a  word,  went  out  and  left 
her  alone  with  the  sleeping  child. 

She  felt  happy.  For  years  past  she  had  not  enjoyed  the 
feeling  of  contentment,  of  quiet  bliss,  that  filled  her  now. 


208  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

It  seemed  as  if  the  danger  that  threatened  her  so  direty 
had  vanished.  Her  thoughts  were  all  with  the  future  of 
the  child  whom  only  a  few  hours  ago  she  had  so  bitterly 
accused.  Shotaye  had  worked  wonders. 

But  it  was  not  the  influence  of  Shotaye  alone  that  produced 
uch  a  great  change  in  the  mind  of  Say  Koitza.  It  was 
:he  fact  that  at  the  same  time,  and  through  the  unwelcome 
interruption  by  Shyuote,  the  Shiuana  —  so  she  believed  — • 
had  sent  her  a  message  confirmatory  of  the  woman's  ad 
monition.  Say  did  not,  she  could  not,  reason  as  we  should 
under  similar  circumstances.  The  rainbow  of  whose  pre 
sence  the  awkward  boy  informed  her  appeared  to  her,  not  in 
the  natural  order  of  phenomena,  but,  in  the  light  of  her 
creed,  as  a  messenger  specially  sent  by  one  or  more  of  the 
innumerable  spirits  which  surround  man  in  nature,  whose 
\~  call  she  had  to  obey  implicitly.  This  implicit,  slavish 
obedience  to  signs  and  tokens  of  a  natural  order  to  which 
a  supernatural  origin  is  assigned,  is  the  Indian's  religion. 
The  life  of  the  Indian  is  therefore  merely  a  succession  of 
religious  acts  called  forth  by  utterances  of  what  he  sup 
poses  to  be  higher  powers  surrounding  him,  and  accompany 
ing  him  on  every  step  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave.  The 
Indian  is  a  child  whose  life  is  ruled  by  a  feeling  of  complete 
dependence,  by  a  desire  to  accommodate  every  action  to 
fhe  wills  and  decrees  of  countless  supernatural  beings. 

In  the  eyes  of  Say  Koitza,  the  whole  afternoon  appeared 
how  like  an  uninterrupted  chain  of  dispensations  from  Those 
Above.  She  was,  of  course,  convinced  that  the  rain  had 
come  in  response  to  the  prayers  and  ceremonies  of  yester 
day's  dance.  That  same  rain  had  driven  Shotaye  to  shelter 
under  her  roof,  had  given  the  medicine-woman  an  oppor 
tunity  to  clear  the  mind  of  Say  of  many  a  dismal  fear, 
many  a  distressing  apprehension  and  suspicion.  The  rain 
bow,  in  her  eyes,  was  a  token  that  what  the  cave-dweller  said 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2CK) 

was  true  ;  it  was  also  the  messenger  through  whose  agency 
Okoya,  and  later  on  Hayoue,  had  drifted  into  her  home 
with  cheering  tidings.  Even  Shyuote  had  arrived  at  the 
right  moment,  in  time  to  be  sent  after  the  husband  and 
father.  So  happy  felt  Say,  that  in  view  of  Shyuote 's  op 
portune  coming,  she  almost  regretted  having  scolded 
the  boy. 

An  intense  feeling  of  gratitude  toward  the  powers  above 
filled  her  heart.  Among  these  powers  there  are  two  that 
appear  not  so  much  superior  to  the  rest  as  more  intimately 
connected  with  the  fate  of  man,  —  as  more  directly  influ 
encing  his  weal  and  woe.  These  are  the  prominent  figures  of 
the  sun-father  and  his  spouse  the  moon-mother.  It  is  prin 
cipally  the  latter  that  moves  the  hearts  of  men,  and  with 
whom  mankind  is  in  most  constant  relations.  Say  Koitza 
felt  eager  to  thank  the  Mother  Above  for  all  she  had  re 
ceived  that  day.  She  went  to  the  recess  in  the  kitchen  wall 
where  the  yaya,  that  fabric  of  snow-white  down  tied  into  a 
graceful  bunch  of  drooping  plumage,  was  carefully  stored 
away,  wrapped  in  a  cover  of  deerskin.  She  took  out  the 
plumage  and  placed  it  before  her  on  the  floor,  scattered 
sacred  meal  around  it,  and  whispered  a  prayer  of  thanks. 
Hardly  had  she  replaced  it,  when  the  sound  of  voices  ar> 
proached  the  outer  doorway.  It  was  Zashue  and  Shyuote, 
who  were  coming  home  together. 

Zashue  seemed  vexed  at  being  called  home.  He  looked 
around  with  a  scowl,  for  Hayoue,  whom  he  had  expected  to 
meet,  was  not  there. 

"Why  did  you  call  me,  koitza?"  he  grumbled,  "satyu- 
mishe  is  not  here.  Give  me  something  to  eat !  "  He  threw 
himself  down  on  the  floor.  Shyuote  nestled  by  his  side, 
proud  of  being  under  his  father's  immediate  protection, 
Zashue  said  to  him, — 

"Have  you  eaten,  sa  uishe?" 
»4 


210  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Not  yet." 

"Why  don't  you  feed  Shyuote?"  Zashue  asked  his  wife. 
*  Surely  Okoya  had  his  stomach  full  long  ago,  whereas  this 
poor  little  frog  here  —  " 

"This  toad,  you  ought  to  call  him,"  Say  interrupted  her 
husband,  in  a  tone  of  indignation.  "  He  has  been  away 
from  home  all  day,  as  he  is  wont  to  be.  Besides,  when  he 
came  home  at  last,  he  beat  his  little  sister.  Okoya  was 
here  early,  therefore  Okoya  got  what  belonged  to  him." 
She  placed  the  food  on  the  floor  before  her  husband,  and 
proceeded  in  a  dry  tone,  — 

"  Hayoue  has  gone  to  call  sa  nashtio.  I  want  the  maseua 
to  hear  what  we  have  to  say  to  you." 

Zashue  was  surprised  at  his  wife's  manner.  She  spoke  in 
a  way  that  betokened  more  resolution  than  he  was  wont  to 
see  her  display.  But  he  was  in  her  house,  and  had  to  ac 
cept  the  situation.  So  he  fell  to  eating,  careful  all  the  while 
to  supply  his  favourite  child  with  the  best  morsels.  At  the 
close  of  the  meal  Hayoue  returned,  saying,  — 

"  Sa  nashtio  is  coming  soon."  Turning  to  his  brother  he 
asked,  — 

"  Where  have  you  been  all  day,  satyumishe  ?  " 

"  With  the  naua,"  was  the  short  reply.     "  And  you?  " 

"  At  home ;  I  felt  tired  from  yesterday." 

"  And  from  kenayte  ! "  Zashue  taunted,  laughing.  Say 
joined  in  the  laugh. 

"  I  don't  ask  you  where  you  were  last  night." 

"At  home."     Say  confirmed  it. 

"Surely?" 

"Certainly." 

"  Then  you  are  better  than  people  say.n 

"Sh  —  sh —  I"  the  woman  cried,  pointing  to  Shyuote, 
"  you  need  not  speak  thus.  Sa  uishe,"  —  she  turned  to  the 
boys  —  "  go  to  rest." 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  211 

"  I  won't ! "  growled  the  disobedient  child,  "  I  want  to 
hear  what  you  say." 

"  That  is  just  what  you  shall  not,"  commanded  the  woman. 
"  Go  out  at  once.  Lie  down  on  the  hides." 

Even  the  father  became  impatient  now,  for  he  saw  that 
nothing  would  be  said  in  the  boy's  presence.  So  he  ordered 
him  to  leave.  Slowly  and  reluctantly  Shyuote  obeyed ;  but 
when  his  sullen  glance  accidentally  met  the  eye  of  Hayoue 
he  accelerated  his  motions.  His  uncle  was  not  a  favourite 
of  his. 

"Well,  what  do  you  want?  Why  did  you  call  me?" 
This  query  Zashue  negligently  addressed  to  his  brother, 
as  if  expecting  the  latter  to  inform  him  of  the  object  of 
the  interview.  But  it  was  Say  Koitza  who  undertook 
the  task  of  replying.  In  earnest  and  measured  tones  she 
said,  — 

"  Umo,  we  have  called  and  sent  for  you  in  order  to  tell 
you  that  Okoya,  my  child,  your  son,  is  going  with  the  girl  of 
Tyope.  Now  we  wish  to  ascertain  what  you  think  of  it,  and 
what  you  have  to  say." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  Okoya  is  your  child  as  well  as  mine,"  Say  emphatically 
stated ;  "  it  cannot  be  immaterial  to  you  whom  he  selects 
for  his  wife." 

"I  don't  bother  about  that,"  he  yawned.  "The  mo- 
tatza  is  old  enough  to  care  for  himself.  It  is  his  business 
and  yours,  koitza.  It  does  not  concern  me,  and  still  less 
you,"  turning  to  his  brother. 

"  Neither  do  I  take  part  in  it  without  request  from 
Okoya,"  answered  Hayoue,  sharply.  "But  Okoya  has 
spoken  to  me  about  it  and  begged  me  to  see  his  mother 
in  his  behalf.  I  have  therefore  a  right  to  be  here  and  to 
speak." 

"  We  expect  sa  nashtio  also."  the  woman  remarked. 


212  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Nashtio  !  Who?  Tyope?  "  Zashue  looked  at  his  wife 
in  surprise. 

"  Tyope  !  "  Say  exclaimed,  "  he  shall  never  cross  my 
threshold.  I  mean  Topanashka ;  he  shall  give  his  speech  ; 
him  we  want  and  expect." 

"  In  that  case  you  do  not  need  me,"  replied  Zashue,  at 
tempting  to  rise.  "  I  go  to  my  people."  Hayoue  touched 
his  arm. 

"  Satyumishe,"  he  said  gravely,  "  it  is  not  well  for  you  to 
leave  us  now.  We  must  speak  with  you  more." 

"  It  is  none  of  my  business,"  growled  the  elder  brother. 

"And  yet  you  must  hear  about  it,  for  Mitsha  is  a 
daughter  of  the  Koshare." 

"  She  is  not  Koshare  herself,  her  mother  only  and  Tyame 
hanutsh  are  entitled  to  speak."  Zashue  was  becoming 
impatient. 

"  Hachshtze,"  Say  interfered,  "  I  know  that  you  are  not 
fond  of  Okoya.  Still  he  is  good." 

"  Far  better  than  Shyuote,"  interjected  the  younger 
brother. 

She  continued,  — 

"  But  mark  my  words ;  is  it  right  that  our  child  should  go 
to  the  house  where  dwells  the  wife  of  a  man  who  for  £, 
long  time  past  has  sought  to  torment  me,  who  harbours  ill- 
will  toward  my  hanutsh  and  your  hanutsh,  and  who,  not 
withstanding  that  you  believe  him  to  be  your  friend  and 
are  more  attached  to  him  than  you  are  to  your  wife  anj 
child,  is  not  your  friend  at  all?  " 

Zashue  was  visibly  impressed  by  these  words  of  his 
wife.  Was  she  perhaps  aware  of  the  secret  motives  of 
the  upturning  of  her  household,  which  he  and  Tyope  had 
performed  yesterday?  He  could  hardly  imagine  that  she 
could  know  anything  about  it,  and  yet  her  utterances  inti 
mated  some  occurrence  of  the  past  that  had  opened  a  wide 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  213 

breach  forever  between  her  and  Tyope.  Might  not  that 
occurrence  have  prompted  the  latter  to  his  accusation 
against  Say?  This  was  an  entirely  new  idea  to  him,  and, 
while  he  felt  ashamed  of  having  yielded  to  Tyope  against 
his  own  wife,  he  now  began  to  suspect  the  real  motives 
which  inspired  the  man  in  his  denunciations.  He  replied 
hastily,  — 

"  I  am  not  with  Tyope." 

"  He  is  your  best  friend,"  Hayoue  objected. 

"That  is  not  true." 

"  Hachshtze,"  Say  said  in  a  tone  of  serious  reminder, 
"  speak  not  thus.  I  know  that  you  and  Tyope  are  good  to 
each  other.  I  know  that  he  gives  you  advice,  and  I  know 
too  "  —  her  voice  rose  and  grew  solemn  —  "  that  you  have 
told  him  many  things  which  neither  Tzitz  hanutsh  nor 
Tanyi  hanutsh  like  him  to  know." 

"Tyope  is  wise." 

"  And  he  is  also  very  bad,"  the  younger  brother  ex 
claimed.  This  made  Zashue  angry. 

"  If  he  is  such  a  bad  man  why  do  you  want  to  throw 
away  Okoya,  that  jewel,"  he  said  with  a  grin  of  irony,  "on 
that  bad  man's  daughter?  It  seems  that  you  have  called 
me  in,  only  in  order  to  slander  the  best  of  my  brethren. 
I  am  Koshare,  and  will  remain  Koshare,  whether  it  pleases 
you,  koitza,  or  not.  The  motatza  here,"  alluding  td 
Hayoue,  "  has  still  less  to  say  about  it.  He  is  Cuirana  and 
has  his  people;  I  am  Koshare  and  have  my  people. 
Okoya  may  do  as  he  pleases.  If  he  thinks  that  his  fa 
ther's  brother  is  nearer  to  him  than  his  father  himself,  let 
him  believe  it  forever.  Now  let  me  alone ;  and  as  to  his 
makatza,  do  as  you  please.  I  will  return  to  my  brethren  1 " 
He  rose  angrily  and  went  out. 

Hayoue  shook  his  head  and  looked  sad  ;  Say  drew  a  sup 
pressed  sigh  and  stared  before  her  in  silence.  After  a  while 


214  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

she  rose  and  fed  the  fire,  and  a  more  vivid  glow  spread  ovei 
the  room  where  both  sat  again  motionless,  absorbed  by  their 
own  thoughts. 

A  shuffling  sound  was  heard  outside,  a  muffled  step  in 
the  outer  room.  Then  the  woman's  father  entered  the 
kitchen  with  the  usual  salutation,  spoken  in  a  hoarse  voice. 

"  Guatzena."  He  sat  down  near  the  hearth,  where  his 
daughter  had  placed  a  deerskin  for  him. 

Holding  both  hands  up  to  the  fire,  his  quick  glance  shot 
from  one  of  those  present  to  the  other,  scanning  the  ex 
pression  of  their  features.  Then  he  asked  quietly,  — 

"Where  is  Zashue?" 

"  He  went  to  the  Koshare,"  Hayoue  explained. 

"Why  did  you  call  me?" 

Say  answered  in  a  meek,  submissive  manner,  — 

"  We  wished  to  speak  to  you,  nashtio,  for  Okoya, 
my  child,  has  told  me  something  that  may  be  good,  al 
though  it  may  also  not  be  good.  It  is  something  I  like 
to  see,  and  yet  it  also  makes  my  heart  heavy.  He  has 
spoken  about  it  to  satyumishe,  too,"  —  she  nodded  at 
Hayoue,  —  "  before  he  said  anything  to  me.  Therefore 
Hayoue  came  to  see  me,  and  we  thought  it  would  be  well 
to  seek  your  advice.  For,  umo,  you  are  wise  and  we  are 
foolish ;  you  are  old  and  we  are  but  children.  Therefore 
listen  to  our  speech  kindly,  and  then  open  our  hearts 
with  your  speech  as  a  father  should  with  his  children." 

The  old  man  was  flattered  by  this  address  from  his 
daughter,  and  glanced  at  Hayoue  with  the  air  of  one  who 
feels  proud  of  the  achievements  of  his  child.  The  young 
man,  too,  bowed  in  approbation.  Topanashka  turned  to 
Say,  and  said  in  an  affable  tone,  — 

"  Speak,  sa  uishe  ;  I  am  glad  to  listen." 

"  Sa  nashtio,"  she  began,  "  Okoya  is  young,  but  he  is  no 
longer  a  child.  His  eves  have  seen  a  girl  and  that  girl  has 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  21$ 

pleased  his  heart.  So  he  has  gone  to  that  girl  and  may  be 
with  her  at  present.  I  hold  this  to  be  good,  umo.  What 
do  you  think?" 

"  It  is  well,  and  it  is  good  for  him  and  for  the  tribe,"  the 
old  man  asserted. 

"  Afterward  he  came  and  said,  '  Sanaya,  I  am  going  with 
that  makatza ;  does  she  please  you  ? '  I  believe  that  was 
right  also?" 

"  It  was  right." 

The  woman  omitted  the  incident  of  her  quarrel  with 
Okoya  as  well  as  her  interview  with  Shotaye,  and  said,  — 

"  He  also  went  to  Hayoue  and  told  him  to  speak  to 
me  for  him.  Was  that  right,  sa  nashtio  ?  " 

The  old  man  remained  thoughtful  for  a  while,  and  then 
declared,  — 

"  It  was  right." 

"  Should  he  not  have  said  to  his  father,  '  sa  nashtio,  do 
you  speak  to  the  yaya  for  me  '  ?  " 

The  reply  was  very  positive,  — 

"  No." 

"Why  not,  sa  umo?  "  Hayoue  interjected. 

"I  will  explain  this  to  you  later  on,"  Topanashka 
answered.  Turning  to  his  daughter  again  he  inquired,  — 

"Who  is  the  makatza,  and  to  which  hanutsh  does  she 
belong?" 

"  She  belongs  to  your  people." 

"  To  Tyame  ?  Who  is  her  mother,  and  what  is  the  name 
of  the  girl?" 

"  She  is  called  Mitsha  Koitza ;  Tyope  Tihua  is  her  father, 
and  her  mother  you  know  too.  Is  all  that  good  also  ?  " 

The  maseua  pressed  his  lips  together  firmly,  ener 
getically,  lowered  his  eyelids,  and  gazed  before  him  in 
silence.  The  others  exchanged  a  rapid  glance,  and  then 
both  looked  at  the  ground,  remaining  thus  in  expectation 


«l6  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Of  the  old  man's  reply.  He  kept  silent  for  a  long  while 
.  Vt  last  he  inquired  of  the  woman,  — 

"  Do  you  know  the  child?  " 

"  I  have  seen  her,  but  have  never  spoken  to  her." 

"  Do  you  know  her?  "     He  turned  to  Hayoue. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  replied  Hayoue,  with  a  smile.  "  I  know 
everybody  who  wears  a  petticoat." 

"  Have  you  been  to  see  her?  " 

«  No." 

"  Never?  "     Topanashka  looked  at  hin»  suspiciously. 

"No!" 

"  How  can  you  know  her,  then?  " 

"  As  I  know  all  the  others,  —  by  meeting  them  out  of 
doors,  talking,  and  playing  with  them.  I  know  them  all,  — 
all !  "  And  the  beau  of  the  Rito  yawned  complacently,  and 
stretched  himself. 

"  Is  she  a  good  girl?  "  continued  Topanashka. 

"She  is,"  the  youth  replied  emphatically. 

" Does  she  talk  much?  " 

«  No." 

" Is  she  easily  angered?  " 

"That  I  don't  know.     I  have  never  teased  her." 

"  Is  she  a  good  worker?  " 

"So  they  say." 

"Good-looking?" 

"  Raua,  raua  !  "  Hayoue  exclaimed. 

"Tall?" 

"Yes." 

"Strong?" 

"  I  believe  so." 

Topanashka  became  silent  again,  and  both  Say  and 
Hayoue  observed  the  proper  decorum  by  fastening  their 
glances  on  the  floor  in  silence.  Then  the  old  man  raised 
his  head,  and  spoke  slowly  and  in  solemn  tones,  — 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  21 J 

"  It  is  well ;  all  you  have  said  to  me  is  well,  ray  children. 
The  daughter  of  my  hanutsh  is  a  good  girl,  she  is  a  hand 
some  girl,  she  is  a  strong  girl.  Therefore  she  is  as  a 
woman  ought  to  be.  Okoya  is  like  her;  they  belong  to 
each  other ;  and  it  is  wise  for  a  son  of  Tanyi  to  wed  a 
daughter  of  Tyame.  The  body  must  be  as  the  heart ;  each 
must  suit  the  heart  and  the  body  of  the  other,  and  since 
the  two  go  with  each  other  it  is  a  sign  that  they  are  fitted 
to  live  together.  But  the  hearts  of  men  must  abide  by 
what  Those  Above"  —  he  pointed  upward — "command, 
and  before  we  decide  we  should  ascertain  how  the  Shiuana 
ire  disposed." 

Here  Say  interrupted  him,  and  suggested,  — 
"  When  he  was  coming  to  speak  to  me  the  rainbow  stood 
in  the  skies.     Is  not  that  a  sign  that  the  Shiuana  are  with 
my  child?" 

Topanashka  smiled  a  kind,  benignant  smile,  and  said,  — 
"It  is  right  to  think  thus,  sa  uishe,  but  remember  that 
the  rainbow  is  a  messenger  to  a  great  many  and  for  many 
purposes.  As  long  as  we  have  not  asked  the  Shiuana 
themselves,  we  cannot  say;  we  do  not  know  whether 
they  approve  or  not.  I  shall  therefore  go  to  the  yaya  of 
our  tribe  and  ask  them  to  pray  to  Those  Above  that  they 
may  let  them  know  if  what  we  now  treat  of  is  good  or  not. 
For  as  long  as  Payatyama  himself  does  not  connect  the 
paths  of  the  two  young  people  all  our  doings  are  in  vain. 
In  the  meantime  do  not  hinder  Okoya  from  seeing  the 
girl ;  and  when  I  come  to  you  with  the  answer  from  Those 
Above,  and  that  answer  is  favourable,  then,  Say,  go  you  to 
the  people  of  the  Eagle  and  say  to  them,  '  My  son  asks 
for  your  daughter  in  order  that  your  numbers  may  be  in 
creased/  I  myself  like  to  see  the  blood  of  my  children 
flow  in  that  of  mine  own." 

and   his   sister-in-law   looked  at  each  other  in 


21 8  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

mute  admiration  at  this  speech,  which  to  them  appeared  so 
wise,  so  thoroughly  appropriate 

Topanashka  went  on,  — 

"You  have  told  me  that  Mitsha  is  the  child  of  Tyope. 
That,  it  is  true,  is  not  good.  But  if  Okoya  is  strong  and  if 
Mitsha  is  true  to  him  what  can  Tyope  do  ?  He  belongs  to 
his  hanutsh,  his  daughter  to  hers ;  and  the  people  of  Tyame 
have  no  faith  in  those  of  Shyuamo,  for  they  mistrust  them. 
y  But  warn  the  motatza ;  tell  him  to  be  prudent ;  for  Tyope 
is  cunning,  —  as  cunning  as  shutzuna  and  as  treacherous  as 
the  wildcat,  and  my  grandson  is  young.  But  let  them  go 
together,  for  I  am  glad  to  see  Tyame  and  Tanyi  become 
one  often." 

"  A-a ! "  was  the  admiring  and  affirmative  ejaculation 
of  both  his  listeners.  Every  word  he  had  spoken  was 
according  to  their  convictions,  and  besides,  whatever  he 
said  was  law  to  them.  Hayoue  rose,  breathed  on  the 
hand  of  the  old  man,  said  "  tro  uashatze,  umo,"  and  left. 
After  his  departure  Topanashka  also  rose,  but  before 
crossing  the  threshold  he  whispered  to  Say, — 

" They  found  nothing?  " 

"  Nothing." 

"Was  Tyope  along?" 

"  He  was." 

"  In  that  case  they  may  accuse  you  as  much  as  the) 
please,  they  cannot  do  you  any  harm." 

"But  who  could  have  told  them? " 

"  That  I  do  not  know  and  cannot  know ;  but  rest  easy t 
you  are  safe."  With  these  words  he  left  the  dwelling  and 
returned  to  his  own  abode,  where  his  deaf  consort  was 
already  asleep.  The  fire  had  gone  out ;  it  was  dark  in  his 
humble  home ;  still  Topanashka  did  not  go  to  rest,  but  sat 
down  in  a  corner  and  mused.  He  felt  happy  in  the 
thought  that  Okoya  and  Mitsha  might  become  united;  it 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2l<) 

caused  him  pleasure  that  his  grandson  should  wed  a  child 
of  his  own  clan.  Still  with  his  strong  attachment  to  the 
faith,  or  creed,  in  which  he  was  born,  he  would  not  yield 
to  his  own  wishes  until  the  will  of  the  higher  powers  was 
ascertained.  To  that  end  he  was  resolved  to  apply  to  the 
leading  shamans  of  the  tribe.  In  order,  however,  that  the 
Shiuana  might  look  favourably  upon  his  request,  he  deter 
mined  upon  doing  penance  himself  during  four  consecutive 
days.  Until  this  was  performed  he  would  not  even  speak 
to  the  medicine-men.  The  self-sacrifice  he  thus  imposed 
was  to  be  light,  and  not  a  formal  fast.  It  limited  itself  to  a 
much  less  substantial  nourishment,  and  to  a  shorter  rest 
during  the  hours  of  night. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Ax  the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking,  the  chief  civil  officer 
of  the  tribe  at  the  Rito,  —  its  tapop,  or  as  he  is  now  called, 
governor,  —  was  an  Indian  whose  name  was  Hoshkanyi 
Tihua. 

Hoshkanyi  Tihua  was  a  man  of  small  stature ;  his  head 
vas  nearly  round,  or  rather  pear-shaped,  for  the  lower  jaw 
appeared  to  be  broader  than  the  forehead.  The  lips  were 
thin  and  the  mouth  firmly  set,  the  nose  small  and  aquiline. 
The  eyes  had  usually  a  pleasant  expression,  but  when  the 
little  man  got  excited  they  sparkled  in  a  manner  that  de 
noted  not  merely  an  irascible  temper,  but  a  disposition 
to  become  extremely  venomous  in  speech  and  utterance. 
Hoshkanyi  Tihua  was  nimble,  and  a  good  hunter.  He  sel 
dom  returned  from  a  hunt  without  a  supply  of  game.  On 
such  occasions  he  was  always  suitably  welcomed  by  his  wife, 
who  suffered  him  to  skin  the  animal  and  cut  up  the  body. 
When  that  was  performed  she  allowed  her  husband  to  go  to 
rest,  but  not  before ;  for  Koay,  Hoshkanyi's  wife,  was  not 
so  much  his  companion  in  life  as  his  home-tyrant;  and 
however  valiant  the  little  fellow  might  try  to  appear  out 
side  of  his  home,  once  under  the  immediate  influence  of 
that  home's  particular  mistress  he  became  as  meek  as  a 
lamb.  Koay  was  an  unusually  tall  woman  for  an  Indian,  — . 
she  overtopped  her  husband  by  nearly  a  head ;  and  the  re 
sult  of  this  anomalous  difference  in  size  was  that  Hoshkanyi 
felt  very  much  afraid  of  her.  Koay  had  a  temper  of  her 
own,  besides,  which  temper  she  occasionally  displayed  at 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  221 

the  expense  of  the  little  tapop's  bodily  comfort.  Among 
the  Pueblo  Indians  the  wife  is  by  no  means  the  slave  only 
of  the  lord  of  creation. 

Koshkanyi  had  somehow  or  other  acquired  the  reputa 
tion  of  being  an  experienced  warrior.  Whether  he  really 
deserved  that  reputation  or  not  was  never  accurately  ascer 
tained.  At  all  events,  he  was  the  lucky  possessor  of  one 
scalp,  and  that  gave  him  prestige.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
he  acquired  the  trophy  in  a  legitimate  way ;  that  is,  he  had 
not  stolen  it.  Once  upon  a  time  a  war-party  of  Navajos 
infested  the  avenues  to  the  Rito.  They  succeeded  in  killing 
a  defenceless  Indian,  who  had  wandered  from  the  bottom 
of  the  gorge,  and  whom  they  found  on  the  mesas  somewhere 
wending  his  way  back  to  the  homes  of  his  tribe.  After  the 
fact  became  known,  a  party  went  out  to  take  revenge,  and 
it  so  happened  that  there  was  deep  snow,  and  the  murderers 
could  easily  be  trailed.  On  the  top  of  what  to-day  is  called 
the  Potrero  Viejo  the  avengers  surprised  the  Navajos  fast 
asleep.  It  was  bitterly  cold,  and  evil  tongues  affirmed  that 
the  Navajo  whose  scalp  Hoshkanyi  Tihua  brought  home 
had  been  frozen  to  death  previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  hero 
from  the  Tyuonyi.  However  that  may  be,  our  governor 
returned  with  one  scalp ;  and  he  was  declared  to  be  man- 
slayer,  and  henceforth  counted  among  the  influential  braves 
of  his  community. 

Hoshkanyi  Tihua  was  by  no  means  silly.  He  possessed 
the  valuable  faculty  of  keeping  his  mouth  closed  and  of 
holding  his  tongue  under  circumstances  when  it  would  be 
disadvantageous  to  him  to  speak.  This  faculty  had  been 
inculcated  after  long  and  earnest  training  by  his  great  wife. 
Whenever  there  was  no  danger,  Hoshkanyi  proved  very 
outspoken ;  but  as  soon  as  there  was  the  slightest  sign  oi 
active  opposition  he  became  extremely  wise,  and  shrouded 
his  views  in  a  cloud  of  dignified  gravity. 


j522  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

In  addition  to  these  qualities  Hoshkanyi  was  the  happy 
owner  of  an  unlimited  amount  of  personal  vanity.  His 
ambition  had  no  definite  object,  provided  some  external 
authority  was  associated  with  his  person.  After  having  for 
a  long  time  fulfilled  the  rather  insignificant  office  of  assist 
ant  to  the  governor  of  the  tribe,  his  ambition  at  last  became 
gratified  with  the  announcement  that  after  the  governor's 
demise  the  Hotshanyi,  or  chief  penitent,  and  his  associates 
had  designated  him  as  the  incumbent  of  the  office.  So 
Hoshkanyi  Tihua  rose  suddenly  to  the  rank  of  one  of  the 
chief  dignitaries  of  his  commonwealth. 

The  choice  thus  made  by  the  religious  heads  of  the  Queres 
did  not  satisfy  everybody,  but  everybody  was  convinced  that 
Those  Above  had  spoken  through  the  mediums  to  whose 
care  the  relations  between  mankind  and  the  higher  powers 
were  specially  committed.  Everybody  therefore  accepted 
the  nomination,  and  the  council  confirmed  it  at  once.  The 
majority  of  the  clans  opposed  Hoshkanyi  because  he  be 
longed  to  the  Turquoise  people,  who  were  rendering  them 
selves  obnoxious  to  many  by  pretensions  which  they  upheld 
by  means  of  their  number,  and  by  their  connection  with  the 
leader  of  the  Koshare.  The  Turquoise  clan  was  beginning  to 
assert  in  tribal  affairs  an  unusual  influence,  —  one  that  really 
amounted  to  a  pressure.  Tyame  and  Tanyi  particularly 
felt  this  growing  power  of  Shyuamo  at  the  expense  of  theh 
influence.  Of  all  the  less  numerous  groups,  Tzitz  hanutsh 
was  almost  the  only  one  who  took  the  side  of  Tanyi  under 
all  circumstances,  and  this  was  due  exclusively  to  the  fact 
that  the  marriage  of  Zashue  with  Say  Koitza  bound  the  two 
clans  together.  Topanashka  himself  was  a  member  of  the 
Eagle  clan,  and  through  him  the  Water  clan,  feeble  in  num 
bers,  enjoyed  the  support  not  only  of  Tanyi  but  also  of 
Tyame  hanutsh. 

In  proposing  for  the  vacant  position  of  tapop  a  member 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  223 

of  the  Turquoise  people,  the  chief  penitents  had  in  a  meas 
ure  acted  discreetly.  They  certainly  acted  very  impartially, 
or  they  considered  that  already  one  important  office,  —  the 
office  of  maseua,  or  war-captain,  —  was  held  by  a  member  of 
one  of  the  most  numerous  hanutsh,  Tyame.  It  appeared 
unwise  to  them  to  refuse  to  as  large  a  cluster  as  Shyuamo 
an  adequate  representation  in  the  executive  powers  of  the 
community.  So  they  chose  Hoshkanyi,  as  a  member  of  the 
Turquoise  clan,  and  proposed  him  for  the  office  of  tapop,  or 
civil  chief.  That  more  opposition  was  not  made  to  this 
selection  was  due  to  two  facts,  —  first,  to  the  tacit  acknowl 
edgment  on  the  part  of  all  that  it  seemed  fair  to  give  Shy 
uamo  a  share  in  the  tribal  government,  and  second,  to  the 
equally  tacit  conviction  that  Hoshkanyi,  while  in  appearance 
a  man  of  determination  and  perspicacity,  was  in  fact  but  a 
pompous  and  weak  individual,  ambitious  and  vain,  and 
without  the  faculty  of  doing  harm.  In  both  these  points 
public  opinion  at  the  Rito  was  right. 

It  will  be  seen  from  what  has  been  said  that  there  pre 
vailed  a  strong  desire  on  the  part  of  the  chief  religious 
authorities  to  preserve  a  certain  equilibrium  between  the. 
components  of  the  tribe.  That  anxiety  to  maintain  an  even 
balance  of  power  was  in  itself  evidence  of  danger  that  this 
equilibrium  might  be  disturbed.  The  great  penitents,  —  or 
as  they  are  erroneously  called  to-day,  caciques,  —  had  not 
and  could  not  have  any  clear  conception  of  the  condition  of 
affairs  in  the  government  of  their  people.  Men  old,  even 
prematurely  old  from  the  effects  of  the  life  of  constant 
abnegation  and  self-sacrifice  to  which  they  had  to  resign 
themselves,  excluded  from  listening  to  anything  that  was 
or  might  indicate  strife  and  contention,  they  knew  not  what 
was  going  on  under  cover  of  apparent  harmony.  Theoreti 
cally  and  from  the  stand-point  of  their  duty,  which  consisted 
in  praying  and  suffering  for  the  Deace  and  happiness  of  the 


224  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

community,  and  thus  securing  these  boons  by  means  of 
more  direct  intercourse  with  Those  Above,  their  choice  was 
excellent.  Practically,  it  was  the  most  dangerous  step  that 
'tould  have  been  suggested  and  carried  out. 

They  did  not  consider  that  instead  of  giving  to  Shyuamo 
a  legitimate  share  in  the  government  of  the  tribe,  they 
Virtually  gave  the  Turquoise  people  a  majority.  For  the 
latter  had  already  two  representatives  of  great  influence. 
Tyope  was  delegate  to  the  council,  where  he  represented 
his  clan ;  and  the  Koshare  Naua,  who  also  was  a  member  of 
Shyuamo,  not  only  belonged  to  the  leading  councilmen  but 
was  one  of  the  religious  heads  !  By  adding  Hoshkanyi  as 
tapop  it  gave  the  Turquoise  clan  an  unfair  preponderance. 
For  while  Hoshkanyi  was  a  weak  man,  —  while  he  was 
mortally  afraid  of  his  inflexibly  honest  colleague,  the  maseua 
Topanashka,  he  was  dependent  upon  Tyope  and  upon  the 
chief  of  the  Delight  Makers,  because  both  belonged  to  his 
clan.  He  very  soon  began  to  display  an  utter  flexibility  to 
the  desires  of  the  two  last- mentioned  individuals,  to  the 
disadvantage  of  those  who  did  not  coincide  with  their 
l_^  news. 

r-  This  marked  preponderance  of  Shyuamo  in  tribal  affairs 
aroused  apprehensions  on  the  part  of  the  other  strong 
clans;  it  also  caused  the  greater  number  of  the  weaker 
clusters  to  gravitate  toward  the  growing  element  of  power 
held  by  the  Turquoise  people.  A  schism  was  slowly  and 
imperceptibly  preparing  itself  among  the  people  of  the 
Rito.  That  schism  was  not  the  work  of  circumstances,  it 
was  being  systematically  prepared  by  two  crafty  men, — 
Tyope  and  the  Koshare  Naua. 

In  working  at  such  a  division  these  two  men  had  in  view 
well-defined  objects.     Their  aim  in  itself  was  not  absolutely 
illegitimate,  since  it  foreshadowed  what  would  be  an  inevi 
table  necessity  in  the  course  of  time.     What  rendered  their 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  22$ 

doings  reprehensible  and  positively  odious  were  the  means 
employed  to  hasten  events.     Their  object  was  nothing  less 
than  to  expel  a  part  of  the  people,  for  the  exclusive  benefit    \ 
of  the  remainder. 

The  extent  of  land  that  can  be  cultivated  in  the  gorge  -t 
of  the  Rito  is  small,  and  the  tribe  was  growing  in  numbers. 
The  time  was  sure  to  come  when  the  crops  would  no  longer 
be  adequate  for  all.  Furthermore,  a  positive  danger  threat 
ened  the  people  in  their  dwellings.  The  rock,  being  ex-  /^ft 
tremely  friable,  crumbled  constantly;  and  now  and  then 
inhabited  caves  were  falling  a  prey  to  the  wear  and  tear  of 
the  material  in  which  they  had  been  excavated.  As  this 
slow  decay  was  sure  to  continue,  it  was  logical  to  expect 
that  room  must  be  found  for  the  houseless  outside.  Al 
ready  the  Corn  clan  had  been  compelled  to  build  a  house 
in  the  bottom  of  the  valley.  All  this  further  tended  to  cur 
tail  the  space  for  agriculture,  and  rendered  a  diminution  of 
numbers  prospectively  imperative. 

These  facts  had  been  recognized  by  Tyope,  and  he  had 
talked  with  the  Koshare  Naua  about  them  for  some  time 
past.  They  were  the  only  persons  who  had  thought  of 
them,  not  so  much  deploring  the  necessity  arising  there 
from  in  the  future  as  hailing  them  as  welcome  pretexts  for 
their  immediate  personal  aims.  Neither  Tyope  nor  the 
Naua  had  such  high  ambition  as  to  aspire  to  a  change  of 
the  basis  of  social  organization.  Neither  of  them  had  any 
conception  of  government  but  what  was  purely  tribal,  but 
they  both  aspired  to  offices  and  dignities  such  as  tribal 
organization  alone  knows.  These  seemed  unattainable  for 
them  as  long  as  there  were  other  powerful  clans  at  the  Rito 
besides  their  own,  whereas  in  case  some  of  the  former  were 
expelled,  it  would  leave  vacant  and  at  their  disposal  the 
positions  which  they  coveted. 

Tyope,  for  instance,  looked  forward  to  the  dignity  of  head 


226  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

war-chief,  or  maseua ;  but  as  long  as  Topanashka  lived  he 
saw  no  chance  for  himself.  He  therefore  concocted  with 
the  young  Navajo  the  sinister  plan  of  murdering  the  old 
man.  It  was  even  uncertain,  in  presence  of  the  two  power 
ful  clans  of  Tanyi  and  Tyame,  whether  after  the  death  of 
Topanashka  it  would  be  possible  for  him  to  secure  the  suc 
cession.  For  the  chief  penitents,  who  selected  officially  the 
new  incumbent,  while  they  were  in  no  manner  accessible  to 
outside  influence,  might  consider  the  general  tendency  of 
affairs,  and  for  the  same  reasons  that  they  chose  Hoshkanyi 
Tihua  for  tapop  might  determine  upon  appointing  some 
member  of  Tanyi  or  Tyame  as  maseua.  Tyope  had  fore 
seen  such  a  contingency,  and  had  therefore  suggested  to 
Nacaytzusle  the  propriety  of  converting  the  isolated  murder 
into  a  butchery  of  the  adult  men  as  far  as  possible.  His 
suggestion  to  surprise  the  Rito  while  the  Koshare  were  at 
work  in  their  estufa  had  a  double  aim,  —  in  the  first  place 
it  made  it  less  dangerous  for  the  Navajos,  in  the  second  it 
appointed  a  time  when  most  of  the  men  of  the  Turquoise 
clan  were  out  of  reach  of  an  enemy.  The  blow  must  then 
fall  upon  the  males  of  other  clans,  for  the  majority  of  the 
Koshare  were  from  th°  people  of  Shyuamo.  This  plan  was 
out  of  the  question  since  the  night  when  his  negotiations 
with  Nacaytzusle  had  come  to  such  a  disastrous  termina 
tion.  But  Tyope  had  laid  his  wires  in  other  directions  also. 
Seeing  that  he  could  not  reduce  the  numbers  of  the  tribe 
by  one  fell  blow,  or  that  at  least  his  endeavours  might  not 
succeed,  he  was  devising  in  his  peculiar  underhand  way 
means  to  create  a  disunion,  and  trying  to  secure  for  the 
time  of  the  crisis  a  commanding  position  for  his  own 
clan. 

As  he  could  never  have  attempted  all  this  alone,  he 
needed  an  associate,  an  accomplice.  That  accomplice  he 
readily  found  in  the  old  Koshare  Naua.  In  the  same  man- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  227 

ner  that  Tyope  aspired  to  the  position  of  war-chief,  the 
chief  of  the  Delight  Makers  was  coveting  the  rank  of  leading 
shaman,  or  medicine-man.  Not  the  dignity  of  cacique,  — 
for  that  position  entailed  too  many  personal  sacrifices,  and 
carried  with  it  a  life  of  seclusion  and  retirement  that  pre 
sented  no  redeeming  features,  —  but  the  office  of  hishtanyi 
chayan,  or  principal  medicine-man,  was  what  the  Naua  de 
sired  to  obtain.  That  position  did  not  entail  greater  priva 
tions  than  the  one  which  the  old  schemer  occupied,  but  it 
secured  for  its  incumbent  much  greater  sway  over  the 
people,  and  placed  him  in  the  position  to  exert  a  degree  of 
influence  which  was  beyond  the  pale  of  Koshare  magic.  J 
The  Naua  was  working  toward  his  end  by  ways  and  with 
means  different  from  those  employed  by  Tyope.  His 
machinations  were  directed  against  the  religious  heads  of 
the  tribe,  and  he  persisted  in  securing  for  the  society  of 
Delight  Makers  a  prominence  that  lay  outside  of  their  real 
attributes.  Therefore  Hayoue  did  not  speak  amiss  when,  / 
in  his  interview  with  Okoya,  he  accused  the  Koshare,  and 
principally  their  leader,  of  attempting  to  usurp  functions 
and  rights  belonging  properly  to  the  main  official  shamans, 
and  thus  secure  for  themselves  undue  advantages. 

Tyope  and  the  old  Naua  had  found  each  other,  in  ac 
cordance  with  the  proverb  about  birds  of  a  feather.  Their 
understanding  was  perfect,  although  it  had  been  brought 
about  gradually  and  without  the  formality  of  a  conspiracy. 
Each  worked  in  his  own  line  and  with  his  own  means,  and 
neither  had  any  thought  of  going  beyond  what  the  tribal 
organization  could  give  them.  There  was  no  idea  of  revo 
lutionizing  or  even  reforming  the  organization.  Had  one 
of  them  entertained  such  a  thought  the  other  would  have 
become  his  bitterest  enemy,  for  both  were  deeply  imbued 
with  the  principles  on  which  rested  the  existence  of  the 
society  in  which  they  had  been  born.  All  they  aspired  to 


228  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

was  to  eliminate  a  certain  number  of  men  or  people,  in 
order  to  secure  with  greater  ease  certain  advantages.  It 
was  the  survival  of  the  fittest,  as  primitive  society  under 
stands  it  and  as  refined  society  attempts  to  enact,  though 
with  more  refined  means. 

The  stumbling-blocks  in  the  path  of  these  intriguers  were 
the  chief  penitents,  —  the  cacique,  or  as  their  titles  run, 
the  Hotshanyi,  or  principal  cacique,  and  his  two  assistants,  the 
uishtyaka  and  the  shaykatze.  These  men,  selected  for  the 
purpose  of  doing  penance  for  all  and  thus  obtaining  readier 
access  to  the  ear  of  the  immortal  ones,  were  the  official 
keepers  of  peace  among  the  tribe.  For  the  Indian  feels 
that  a  house  divided  against  itself  cannot  stand,  and  that 
the  maintenance  of  harmony  through  a  constant  appeal  to 
the  higher  powers  is  the  most  important  feature  in  the  life 
i^of  his  tribe.  To  discredit  in  an  underhand  way  the 
caciques  was  the  special  aim  of  the  Koshare  Naua,  and  to 
direct  the  eyes  of  the  people  to  his  own  achievements  in 
religious  magic,  —  in  one  word  to  place  the  power  of  the 
Koshare  and  their  specific  medicine  on  a  higher  plane  than 
all  that  the  official  penitents  might  achieve.  To  do  this 
was  a  very  slow  piece  of  work,  and  it  had  to  be  brought 
about  in  such  a  manner  that  nobody  could  suspect  his  ob- 
'ject.  But  both  Tyope  and  the  aged  scoundrel  were  work 
ing  their  plans  with  the  utmost  caution,  and  the  religious 
heads  of  the  tribe  had  not  the  slightest  suspicion  of  what 
was  going  on  against  them. 

The  Tyuonyi,  therefore,  was  quiet  on  the  surface,  but 
there  were  occasional  ripples  of  that  placid  brook  which 
earnest  and  thoughtful  observers  could  not  fail  to  notice. 
Hayoue,  although  very  young,  was  one  of  these  observers ; 
but  none  saw  more  and  penetrated  deeper  into  the  real 
state  of  affairs  than  Topanashka.  He  and  the  Hishtanyi 
Chayan.  who  to  some  extent  was  his  trusty  friend,  felt  that 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  22$ 

a  tempest  was  coming.  Both  saw  that  the  disturbing 
powers  were  rooted  in  the  society  of  the  Koshare,  that 
Tyope  and  the  Naua  must  be  the  leading  spirits.  But  how 
and  to  what  ultimate  end  the  machinations  were  intended 
escaped  their  penetration.  For  the  same  reason  they  could 
not  come  actively  to  the  relief  of  the  situation,  as  no  overt 
action  had  as  yet  been  committed  which  would  justify  an 
official  movement  against  the  conspirators. 

Topanashka  had  for  several  days  been  keeping  the  infor 
mal  fast  upon  which  he  had  determined  for  the  benefit  of 
his  grandson's  wooing.  It  was  a  warm,  pleasant  afternoon. 
Since  the  rain  which  followed  upon  the  ayash  tyucotz  the 
sky  had  been  blue  again  as  before ;  the  season  for  daily 
showers  had  not  yet  commenced,  and  the  people  were  in 
the  corn-patches  as  busy  as  possible,  improving  the  bright 
days  in  weeding  and  putting  the  ground  in  order.  The 
bottom  of  the  gorge  therefore  presented  an  active  appear 
ance.  Men  and  women  moved  about  the  houses,  in  and 
out  of  the  cave-dwellings,  and  in  the  fields.  From  the 
tasselled  corn  that  grew  in  these  plots  a  tall  figure  emerged ; 
it  was  Topanashka  himself,  and  he  directed  his  steps  toward 
the  cliffs  at  the  lower  end,  where  the  Turquoise  people 
dwelt.  The  old  man  moved  as  usual  with  a  silent,  meas 
ured  step  which  would  have  appeared  stately  had  not  his 
head  leaned  forward.  He  was  clad  in  a  wrap  of  unbleached 
cotton,  and  a  leather  belt  girded  his  loins.  Around  his  neck 
a  string  of  crystals  of  feldspar  was  negligently  thrown ;  and 
a  fetich  of  white  alabaster,  representing  rudely  the  form 
of  a  panther,  depended  from  the  necklace  hanging  upon 
his  breast. 

The  people  of  the  Turquoise  or  Shyuamo  resided  on  the 
lower  range  of  cliffs,  and  formed  the  most  easterly  group  of 
cave -dwellings  on  the  Rito.  Here  the  rocks  are  no  longer 
absolutely  perpendicular;  they  form  steps;  and  the  slope 


230  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

leading  to  them  is  overgrown  with  shrubbery,  except  where 
erosive  action  of  wind,  as  well  as  of  water  or  frost,  has 
scooped  out  strange  formations  in  advance  of  the  main 
wall.  These  erosions  are  mostly  regular  cones,  tent-shaped, 
between  and  behind  which  open  chasms  and  deep  rents 
like  the  one  above  which,  as  we  recollect,  lies  the  estufa  of 
the  Koshare.  Topanashka  walked  toward  the  upper  part 
of  the  cluster  of  dwellings  of  Shyuamo,  where  the  ascending 
slope  was  sparsely  covered  with  brush.  In  front  of  one  of 
the  caves  sat  a  woman.  She  was  unusually  tall  for  an 
Tndian,  and  neither  young  nor  old.  She  appeared  to  be 
busy  extracting  the  filaments  from  shrivelled  leaves  of  the 
yucca,  which  had  been  dried  by  roasting,  and  afterward  had 
been  buried  to  allow  the  texture  to  decay.  So  engrossed 
was  the  woman  by  her  task  that  only  when  the  old  man 
stood  by  her  side,  and  asked,  "  Where  is  the  tapop  ?  "  did 
she  notice  his  presence. 

Koay,  for  it  was  she,  the  towering  consort  of  the  governor 
of  the  Tyuonyi,  did  not  condescend  to  reply  in  words  to 
the  inquiry  of  the  war-captain.  She  resorted  to  a  lazy 
pantomime  by  gathering  her  two  lips  to  a  snout-like  pro 
jection  and  thrusting  this  protuberance  forward  in  the 
direction  of  the  doorway  before  which  she  was  squatting. 
Then  she  resumed  her  occupation. 

The  visitor  paid  no  further  attention  to  the  uncivil 
woman.  He  passed  in  front  of  her  unceremoniously,  and 
entered  the  cave.  The  apartment  was  like  those  we  have 
previously  described,  with  the  single  difference  that  it  was 
better  lighted,  somewhat  larger,  and  that  the  household 
effects  scattered  and  hung  around  were  of  a  different  char 
acter.  Implements  of  warfare,  —  a  bow  and  a  quiver  with 
arrows,  a  shield  —  convex  and  painted  red,  with  a  yellow  disk, 
and  several  green  lines  in  the  centre,  —  were  suspended  from 
the  wall.  The  niches  contained  small  vessels  of  burnt  clajf 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2$ I 

and  a  few  plume-sticks.  A  low  doorway  led  from  this  room 
into  another,  and  beyond  that  there  was  even  a  third  ceil, 
so  that  Hoshkanyi  Tihua,  the  civil  chief  of  the  Queres, 
enjoyed  the  luxury  of  occupying  three  apartments. 

Still  this  was  not  the  dwelling  which  he  commonly  in 
habited.  His  wife  descended  from  the  Bear  clan ;  and 
her  home,  and  consequently  his  also,  was  higher  up  the 
gorge,  among  the  caves  belonging  to  the  people  of  the 
Bear.  But  as  his  father  had  recently  departed  this  life, 
and  his  mother  was  left  alone,  she  had  begged  her  only  son 
to  remain  with  her  until  one  or  the  other  of  her  brothers  or 
sisters  might  be  ready  to  take  her  in  charge,  either  by  mov 
ing  into  her  abode  or  by  her  going  to  them.  Hoshkanyi, 
therefore,  had  temporarily  gone  to  live  with  his  mother, 
but  his  portly  consort  was  careful  not  to  let  him  go 
alone.  They  had  no  children,  and  she  felt  constrained  to 
keep  an  eye  upon  the  little  man. 

In  the  room  which  Topanashka  had  entered,  his  execu 
tive  colleague  was  sitting  on  a  round  piece  of  wood,  a  low 
upright  cylinder,  whose  upper  surface  was  slightly  hollowed 
out.  Such  were  the  chairs  of  the  Pueblos  in  olden  times. 
With  the  exception  of  that  well-known  garment  peculiar 
to  Indians  and  babies,  and  called  breech-clout,  the  gover 
nor's  manly  form  was  not  concealed  by  any  vestment  what 
ever.  But  while  he  evidently  thought  that  at  home  the 
necessities  of  costume  might  be  dispensed  with,  he  had  not 
abandoned  the  luxuries  of  ornamentation.  He  wore  on  his 
naked  body  a  necklace  of  wolves'  teeth,  ear  pendants  of 
black  and  green  stones,  and  wristbands  of  red  leather.  The 
latter  he  carried  in  order  to  relieve  his  heart,  still  heavy 
under  the  severe  blow  that  he  had  experienced  through  the 
death  of  his  father. 

The  tapop  was  also  at  work.  By  means  of  the  well- 
known  fire-drill  he  was  attempting  to  perforate  a  diminutive 


232  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

shell  disk  and  thus  transform  it  into  the  shell  bead  so  es« 
sential  to  the  Indian.  So  intent  was  he  upon  this  arduous 
task  that  he  failed  to  notice  the  coming  of  Topanashka ;  and 
the  latter  stood  beside  him  for  a  little  while,  an  impassive 
observer.  At  last  Hoshkanyi  Tihua  looked  up,  and  the 
visitor  said  to  him,  — 

"Umo,  you  have  sent  for  me  and  I  have  come.  But 
if  you  are  engaged,  or  have  no  time  now,  I  do  not  mind 
returning  again." 

There  was  a  decided  irony  in  the  manner  in  which  the 
old  man  uttered  these  words,  and  Hoskanyi  felt  it.  He 
rose  quickly,  gathered  a  few  robes,  and  spread  them  on  the 
ground.  In  short  he  was  as  pleasant  and  accommodating, 
all  at  once,  as  he  and  his  wife  had  been  careless  in  the  be 
ginning.  Topanashka  settled  down  on  the  hides,  and  in 
the  meantime  the  woman  also  entered  the  room  and  quite 
unceremoniously  squatted  beside  the  men.  Hoshkanyi 
said  to  her, — 

"We  have  to  talk  together,  the  maseua  and  I."  He 
fastened  on  his  spouse  a  look  timid  and  imploring;  it  was 
plain  that  he  did  not  venture  to  send  her  out  directly, — 
that  he  was  afraid  of  her.  Koay  looked  at  him  carelessly, 
and  said  in  a  very  cool  manner, — 

"I  want  to  hear  that  talk." 

"But  I  will  not  allow  it,"  interposed  Topanashka;  and 
his  cold,  piercing  eye  rested  on  the  woman's  face.  She  cast 
hers  to  the  ground,  and  he  proceeded, — 

"As  long  as  you  are  here,  the  tapop  and  I  cannot  speak." 

She  lifted  her  head  angrily,  with  the  manifest  intention 
of  rebelling,  but  as  soon  as  her  eyes  met  the  cold,  deter 
mined  glance  of  the  war-chief,  she  felt  a  chill,  rose,  and 
left  the  room.  Hoshkanyi  Tihua  drew  a  sigh  of  relief ;  he 
was  grateful  to  his  visitor  for  having  so  summarily  de 
spatched  his  formidable  spouse.  Then  he  said, — 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  233 

"  Umo,  I  have  sent  for  you  because  a  speech  has  been 
spoken  here  in  this  house,  which  belongs  to  my  mother. 
That  speech  may  be  good  and  it  may  not  be  good,  and  I 
cared  not  to  tell  my  thoughts  until  I  had  spoken  to  you, 
nashtio.  The  matters  of  which  it  treated  belong  before  the 
council,  but  I  do  not  know  whether  to  say  to  you,  the 
ttashtio  of  the  Zaashtesh,  Call  them  together,  or  not."  He 
was  manifestly  troubled,  and  fastened  an  uncertain  glance 
upon  the  face  of  the  other. 

Topanashka  very  composedly  answered,  — 

"  You  are  as  wise  as  I,  umo ;  you  know  what  your  duties 
are.  Whenever  you  say  to  me,  Go  and  call  together  the 
council,  I  shall  do  it.  If  you  do  not  tell  me  to  do  so,  I 
shall  not." 

Hoshkanyi  moved  in  his  seat ;  the  reply  did  not  suit  him. 
After  some  hesitation  he  continued,  — 

"I  know,  father,  that  you  do  as  the  customs  of  the 
Zaashtesh  require,"  —  he  held  himself  erect  with  an  attempt: 
at  pride,  for  he  felt  that  in  the  present  instance  his  person 
ality  and  word  represented  customs  which  were  law,  —  "  but 
I  do  not  know  that  I  shall  tell  you  so  or  not.  Do  you 
understand  me,  umo?" 

"  I  understand  your  words,  Tapop,  but  you  know  that  I 
have  only  to  act,  whereas  it  is  your  office  to  speak." 

The  cool  reply  exasperated  the  little  man.  He  retorted 
sharply,  — 

"And  yet  you  have  often  spoken  in  the  council,  when 
your  hanutsh  wanted  something  !  " 

Topanashka  lifted  his  eyes  and  gazed  fully,  calmly,  at 
the  other;  he  even  suppressed  a  smile. 

"  Then  it  is  your  hanutsh,  Shyuamo,  that  wants  something 
this  time?" 

Hoshkanyi  felt,  as  the  saying  is,  very  cheap.  His  secret 
was  out ;  and  his  plan  to  obtain  an  expression  of  opinion 


234  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

from  the  maseua  ere  he  came  to  a  conclusion  himself,  a 
total  failure.  The  latter  added  in  a  deprecating  way,  — 

"  If  you  do  not  know  what  to  do,  ask  the  Hotshanyi.  He 
will  give  you  good  advice."  This  was  just  what  the  governor 
wished  to  avoid,  but  he  knew  that  when  Topanashka  had 
once  expressed  his  opinion  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to 
dissuade  him. 

After  an  interval  of  silence  the  civil  chief  looked  up  and 
said,  — 

"  Come,  let  us  go  to  the  Hotshanyi." 

Topanashka  thought  over  this  proposal  for  a  moment. 
"  It  is  well,"  he  at  last  assented  ;  "  I  will  go."  With  this 
he  rose.  The  governor  rose  also,  but  was  so  embarrassed 
an'd  excited  that  he  would  Have  run  out  as  he  was,  in  almost 
complete  undress,  had  not  the  maseua  reminded  him  by 
saying, — 

"Remember  that  we  are  going  to  the  Shiuana,"  adding, 
"take  some  meal  along." 

"Have  you  any  with  you?"  inquired  Hoshkanyi,  with  a 
venomous  look.  The  other  responded  quietly, — 

"I  do  not  need  any.  You  are  seeking  their  advice,  not 
I."  That  settled  the  matter. 

As  both  went  out,  Koay,  who  had  been  sitting  as  close  by 
the  doorway  as  possible,  snappishly  asked  her  husband, — 

"Where  are  you  going,  hachshtze?" 

Topanashka  took  the  trouble  of  satisfying  her  curiosity 
by  dryly  answering, — 

"About  our  own  business."  The  icy  look  with  which  he 
accompanied  his  retort  subdued  the  woman. 

The  Hotshanyi,  or  chief  penitent,  lived  with  the  people  of 
the  Prairie-wolf  clan.  His  abode  consisted  of  two  caves  on 
the  lower  and  one  on  the  upper  tier.  The  two  officers  of 
the  tribe  wandered  slowly  along  the  cliffs,  past  the  abodes 
of  the  Sun  clan,  Topanashka  walking  as  usual, — erect,  with 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  235 

his  head  bent  slightly  forward,  —  Hoshkanyi  with  a  pomp 
ous  air,  glad  to  display  himself  in  company  with  his  much 
more  respected  colleague,  to  whom  all  the  pleasant  greet 
ings  which  the  two  received  on  their  peregrination  were 
really  directed.  When  they  leached  the  cave  wherein  the 
cacique  resided,  Hoshkanyi  entered  first. 

Close  to  the  fireplace,  which  was  one  of  those  primitive 
chimneys  like  the  one  we  have  seen  in  the  home  of  Shotaye, 
an  old  man  was  seated  on  the  floor.  His  age  was  certainly 
greater  than  Topanashka's ;  he  was  of  middle  height,  lean 
and  even  emaciated.  His  eyes  were  dim,  and  he  received 
the  greetings  of  his  visitors  with  an  air  of  indifference  or 
timidity ;  it  was  difficult  to  determine  which.  Pointing  tc 
the  floor  he  said,  — 

"  What  brings  you  to  my  house,  children ! "  and  he 
coughed  a  hollow,  hectic  cough. 

The  tapop  began, — 

«  We  wish  —  " 

"  Do  not  say  we,"  the  maseua  corrected  him,  "  you  wish, 
not  I." 

Hoshkanyi  bit  his  lips  and  began  anew,  — 

"  I  and  my  brother  here  have  come  because  I  want  to 
ask  you  something.  But  if  you  are  at  work,  grandfather, 
then  we  will  go." 

"  I  am  not  working,  sa  uishe,"  said  the  cacique.  "  Speak ; 
I  listen.  What  is  it  you  wish? " 

"  Can  I  see  the  kopishtai  ?  "  Hoshkanyi  whispered 
anxiously. 

The  eyes  of  the  Hotshanyi  brightened.  His  look  sud 
denly  became  clear  and  firm.  With  surprising  alacrity  he 
rose,  as  if  he  had  become  younger  at  once.  His  whole 
figure,  although  bent,  attained  vigour  and  elasticity.  Before 
leaving  the  cave  he  looked  inquiringly  at  Topanashka,  who 
only  shook  his  head  and  said  in  a  low  tone»  — 


236  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  I  have  nothing  to  ask." 

The  two  left  the  room.  The  place  where  Those  Above 
were  thought  to  be  accessible  to  the  intercession  of  man 
was  the  cave  adjoining,  but  there  was  no  communication 
between  the  two  chambers. 

Presently  the  cacique  crept  back  to  where  they  had 
left  Topanashka  alone,  and  Hoshkanyi  followed.  The 
former  resumed  his  seat  by  the  hearth,  whereas  the  tapop 
cowered  in  front  of  him.  He  looked  anxiously  in  the  old 
man's  face,  and  at  the  same  time  shot  an  occasional  quick 
glance  over  toward  the  maseua.  In  a  hollow  voice  the 
Hotshanyi  said, — 

"  You  may  speak  now,  sa  uishe ;  the  kopishtai  know 
that  you  are  here." 

"Sa  umo  Hotshanyi,"  the  tapop  commenced,  "I  have 
listened  to  a  speech.  Things  have  been  said  to  me  that 
concern  the  tribe."  He  stopped  short  and  fastened  his 
eyes  on  the  floor. 

"This  is  well,"  the  cacique  said  encouragingly;  "you 
must  hear  what  the  children  of  Payatyama  and  Sanatyaya 
are  doing ;  you  are  their  father." 

Hoshkanvi  sighed,  and  appeared  to  be  much  embarrassed. 

"  Speak,  motatza,"  urged  the  old  man. 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  do,"  the  little  man  stuttered. 

"  Have  you  been  asked  to  do  anything?  " 

"  Yes,  they  have  —  "  He  stopped,  sighed  again,  and  then 
proceeded  hastily  and  with  an  expression  of  anguish  in  his 
face,  "  Shyuamo  hanutsh  asks  that  Tzitz  hanutsh  —  " 

The  Hotshanyi  commanded  him  to  desist. 

"  Stay,  stay,  Hoshkanyi  Tihua  ! "  he  hoarsely  exclaimed. 
"You  know  that  we,  the  mothers  of  the  tribe,  will  not 
listen  to  anything  that  divides  our  children  among  them 
selves  or  that  might  cause  division  among  them.  You  ask 
for  advice  from  me.  This  advic^  you  shall  receive,  but 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  23? 

only  on  things  that  I  can  know  of  and  which  I  dare  to 
hear.  If  you  speak  to  me  of  strife  and  dispute,  I  shall  not 
listen  to  it.  Speak  of  yourself,  not  of  others." 

Topanashka  was  an  attentive  listener,  but  not  a  muscle  in 
his  face  moved ;  whereas  the  little  tapop  was  manifestly  in 
great  trouble.  He  coughed,  hemmed  and  hawed,  twisted 
his  body,  moved  uneasily  in  his  seat,  and  at  last  continued 
in  a  faltering  manner,  — 

"I  do  not  know  whether  or  not  I  ought  to  call  the 
council  together." 

"  Were  you  asked  to  do  it?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Then  you  must  do  it ;  it  is  your  duty,"  replied  the 
Hotshanyi.  He  spoke  imperatively,  and  with  remarkable 
dignity  of  manner.  Thus  the  first  point  was  settled.  And 
the  tapop  with  growing  uneasiness  proceeded  to  his  next. 

"It  has  been  said  to  me  that  I  should  send  my  brother 
here,"  pointing  at  Topanashka,  "to  call  together  the 
fathers.  Now  is  it  well  to  do  so,  or  shall  I  send  the  assist 
ant  civil  chieftain  to  the  men?"  Hoshkanyi  spoke  like  a 
schoolboy  who  was  delivering  a  disagreeable  message. 

The  matter  in  itself  seemed  of  no  consequence  at  all, 
but  the  manner  in  which  the  governor  spoke  and  acted 
looked  extremely  suspicious.  Both  of  his  listeners  became 
attentive  ;  the  cacique  displayed  no  signs  of  surprise,  but  he 
looked  at  the  speaker  fixedly,  and  inquired  of  him,  speak 
ing  very  slowly, — 

'"'  Is  my  brother  the  maseua  willing  to  go  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  asked  him  as  yet." 

"Then  ask  him,"  sternly  commanded  the  old  man. 

Almost  trembling,  the  tapop  turned  to  Topanashka,  who 
was  sitting  immovable,  with  lips  firmly  set  and  sparkling 
eyes. 

"  Will  you  call  the  council  together,  nashtio  ?  " 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  No  !  "  exclaimed  the  maseua. 

"You  have  heard  what  your  brother  says,"  coldly  pro 
ceeded  the  cacique ;  "  you  know  now  what  you  are  to  do. 
My  brother  will  not  go,  and  you  can  only  command  him 
if  the  council  orders  you  to  do  so.  Therefore  send  the 
assistant;  he  is  your  messenger.  Do  your  duty  and 
nothing  else,  for  it  is  not  good  to  attempt  anything  new 
unless  Payatyama  has  so  directed."  The  words  were 
spoken  in  a  tone  of  solemn  warning,  and  even  Topanashka 
was  startled,  for  never  before  had  he  heard  the  Hotshanyi 
speak  thus.  The  old  man  had  always  been  very  meek  and 
mild  in  his  utterances,  but  now  his  voice  sounded  almost 
prophetic.  Was  he  inspired  by  Those  Above?  Did  the 
Shiuana  speak  through  him?  Was  there  danger  for  the 
tribe? 

At  all  events  the  conference  had  come  to  a  close,  for 
the  cacique  had  bent  his  head,  and  spoke  no  more. 

"  Trouashatze,  sa  umo,"  said  Topanashka,  and  left  the 
room.  Hoshkanyi  followed  hurriedly.  The  cacique  took 
no  notice  of  their  departure. 

When  both  men  stood  outside,  Topanashka  turned  to  the 
tapop  coldly,  asking,  — 

"Are  you  going  to  call  the  council?  " 

"  I  will,"  whined  the  little  man. 

"For  what  day?" 

"  I  don't  know  yet." 

"  But  I  want  to  know,"  sternly,  almost  menacingly,  insisted 
the  other.  "  I  want  to  know,  for  I  shall  be  present !  " 

"  Four  days  from  now,"  cried  Hoshkanyi,  trembling. 

"What  time?" 

"I  don't  know  yet.  When  the  moon  rises,"  he  added 
in  despair,  as  the  cold,  determined  gaze  of  Topanashka  met 
his  eye.  Without  a  further  word  the  war-chieftain  turned 
and  went  off. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  239 

Hoshkanyi  was  utterly  annihilated.  He  had  made  a  total 
failure,  and  as  he  stood  there  like  a  child  that  has  just  been 
thoroughly  whipped  he  began  to  curse  the  weakness  that 
had  caused  him  to  yield  to  the  advice  and  the  demands  of 
Tyope.  For  it  was  Tyope  who  had  brought  him  to  act  the 
part  in  which  the  unfortunate  governor  had  so  disgracefully 
failed.  Tyope,  when  as  representative  of  the  clan  Shyuamo 
he  asked  the  tapop  to  call  together  the  council  for  a  matter 
wherein  the  Turquoise  people  were  interested,  had  artfully 
told  him  that  as  one  of  their  number  it  would  be  better 
if  the  maseua  would  issue  the  call.  He  knew  very  well 
that  this  was  an  innovation ;  but  the  deceiver  made  it  ap 
parent  that  if  Topanashka  should  yield,  and  commit  the 
desired  misstep,  the  blame  would  of  course  fall  upon  the 
war-chief,  and  the  civil  chief  would  profit  by  the  other's 
mistake,  and  would  gain  in  the  opinion  of  the  people  at 
the  expense  of  the  maseua. 

But  Tyope,  cunning  as  he  was,  had  underrated  the  firm 
ness  and  perspicacity  of  Topanashka  as  much  as  he  had 
overrated  the  abilities  of  Hoshkanyi.  As  soon  as  the  latter 
saw  the  rigidity  of  his  colleague  in  a  matter  of  duty,  he  felt 
completely  at  sea ;  he  lost  sight  of  everything  that  Tyope 
had  recommended,  tumbled  from  one  mistake  to  another, 
and  finally  exposed  himself  to  grave  suspicions.  As  the 
popular  saying  is,  he  let  the  cat  out  of  the  bag,  and  made 
an  absolute,  miserable  fiasco.  All  this  he  saw  clearly,  and 
he  cursed  Tyope,  and  cursed  himself  for  having  become 
his  tool.  More  than  that,  he  trembled  when  he  thought 
of  what  Tyope  would  say,  and  also  what  his  own  energetic 
wife  would  call  him,  and  even  perhaps  do  to  him,  if  he 
went  home.  For  Koay  was  sure  to  exact  a  full  report  of 
what  had  occurred ;  and  to  save  himself,  nothing  remained 
but  to  tell  her  lies.  This  he  finally  determined  upon.  But 
to  Tyope  be  **mld  not  He ;  to  Tyope  he  must  tell  the  truth « 


240  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

and  then  ?  Hoshkanyi  Tihua  wended  his  way  home  wrapped 
in  thoughts  of  a  very  unsatisfactory  nature. 

While  the  governor  of  the  Queres  was  thus  agitated  by 
unpleasant  forebodings,  the  mind  of  the  war-chief  was  not 
less  occupied  by  gloomy  thoughts.  Of  all  the  leading  men 
of  the  tribe,  Topanashka  saw  perhaps  most  clearly  the  sinis 
ter  machinations  of  some  of  the  Turquoise  people.  Still  he 
had  not  discovered,  and  could  not  even  surmise,  the  real  ob 
ject  of  their  intrigues.  Of  an  intention  to  divide  the  tribe 
he  had  no  idea.  Personal  ambition,  greed,  and  thirst  for 
influence  was  all  he  could  think  of;  and  he  felt  sure  that 
they  would  not  prevail,  for  to  personal  ambition  the  tribal 
system  afforded  little,  if  any,  opportunity.  It  was  manifest 
however  from  what  Hoshkanyi  had  involuntarily  divulged, 
that  the  clan  Shyuamo  intended  to  press  some  claim  against 
the  small  Water  clan,  which  besides  was  so  distantly  located 
from  the  abodes  and  the  lands  of  the  Turquoise  that  he 
could  see  no  just  reason  for  a  claim.  It  was  equally  impos 
sible  for  him  to  imagine  the  nature  of  the  claim.  Quarrels 
between  clans  are  always  most  dangerous  for  the  existence 
of  a  tribe,  for  disruption  and  consequent  weakening  is  likely 
to  result  from  them.  The  old  man  felt  the  gravest  appre 
hensions  ;  he  saw  imminent  danger  for  his  people ;  and  still 
he  could  not  arrive  at  any  conclusion  before  the  threatening 
storm  had  broken.  There  was  no  possibility  of  averting  the 
peril,  for  he  could  not  even  mention  its  approach  to  any 
one. 

Topanashka  was  calm  and  absolutely  brave.  His  life  was 
nothing  to  him  except  as  indispensable  for  the  performance 
of  his  duty.  He  knew  long  ago  that  the  leaders  of  the 
movement  for  which  the  Turquoise  people  were  used  as  bat 
tering-rams  hated  him,  that  he  was  a  thorn  in  their  flesh, 
a  stone  in  their  crooked  paths.  If  the  revelations  of  Hosh 
kanyi  created  deep  apprehensions  in  him,  it  was  out  of  na 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  241 

personal  fear;  in  the  present  instance  it  was  clear  that  a 
trap  had  been  set  for  the  purpose  of  decoying  him  into  a 
false  move.  It  was  the  first  time  that  anything  of  the  kind 
had  been  attempted ;  and  Topanashka  looked  upon  it  as 
very  serious,  not  for  his  individual  sake,  but  because  it 
showed  that  it  was  undertaken  jointly  with  a  move  that  was 
sure  to  bring  about  internal  disturbances,  and  was  probably 
a  part  of  that  move  itself,  and  because  it  exhibited  a  degree 
of  boldness  on  the  part  of  the  schemers  which  proved  that 
their  plans  were  nearly,  if  not  absolutely,  mature.  A  crisis 
was  near  at  hand ;  he  saw  it,  but  it  could  not  be  prevented. 
A  deep  gloom  settled  on  the  heart  of  the  old  maseua,  and 
something  like  despondency  crept  over  him  at  times.  It 
caused  him  to  forget  the  matter  of  his  grandson's  wooing 
and  his  proposed  appeal  to  the  Shiuana  in  behalf  of  Okoya, 
and  to  look  forward  to  the  momentous  time,  four  days  hence, 
when  his  mind  would  become  enlightened  on  the  impend 
ing  danger.  All  his  thoughts  were  henceforth  with  the 
council  and  the  object  for  which  it  was  to  be  held.  He 
looked  forward  to  it  with  sadness  and  even  with  fear.  It 
was  clear  to  him  that  the  hour  of  that  council  must  become 
an  evil  hour  in  the  annals  of  his  people. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  four  days  at  the  expiration  of  which  the  council  was  to 
take  place  were  drawing  to  a  close,  for  it  was  the  night  cf 
the  fourth,  that  on  which  the  uuityam  was  to  meet.  It  was 
a  beautiful  night ;  the  full  moon  shone  down  into  the  gorge 
in  its  greatest  splendour,  and  only  along  the  cliffs  was  it 
possible  to  walk  in  the  shadow.  The  air  was  cool  and 
balmy ;  not  a  breeze  stirred ;  and  the  population  of  the  Rito 
seemed  to  enjoy  the  luminous,  still,  and  refreshing  hours 
that  followed  upon  a  warm  and  busy  day.  Laughter,  sing 
ing,  shouting,  came  from  the  roofs  and  the  vicinity  of  the 
houses,  as  well  as  from  the  caves  and  their  approaches- 
The  people  felt  happy;  few  if  any  suspected  that  a  mo 
mentous  question  agitated  the  minds  of  some  of  their 
number. 

Two  men  were  walking  along  the  cliffs  toward  the  group 
of  cave-dwellings  which  the  Prairie-wolf  clan  inhabited. 
They  hugged  the  rocks  so  closely  that  most  of  the  time 
their  figures  disappeared  in  the  inky  shadows  of  projecting 
or  beetling  cliffs  and  pillars.  One  of  these  men  asked  in 
a  low  tone, — 

"  Are  you  going  to  the  uuityam  ?  " 

"  I  am,"  replied  the  other. 

The  words  were  spoken  in  a  tone  sufficiently  loud  tc, 
enable  any  one  acquainted  with  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Tyuonyi  to  recognize  in  the  first  speaker  Tyame  Tihua,  the 
delegate  or  councilman  from  the  Eagle  clan,  in  the  other. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  243 

our  old  friend  Topanashka.  After  exchanging  these  few 
words  both  continued  their  walk  in  silence. 

The  round  chamber  in  which  the  meetings  of  the  tribal 
council  were  usually  held  exists  to-day  as  a  semicircular 
indentation  in  the  cliffs,  the  rudely  arched  ceiling  of  which 
is  still  covered  with  a  thick  coating  of  soot.  The  front  wall 
has  crumbled  long  ago.  At  the  time  we  speak  of  it  was 
entire,  and  the  apartment  formed  a  nearly  circular  hall  of 
more  than  usual  size,  with  a  low  entrance  in  front  and  two 
small  air-holes  on  each  side  of  the  doorway. 

As  the  two  men  approached  the  place,  they  noticed  that 
a  number  of  others  were  already  congregated  in  front  of  it, 
but  that  no  light  issued  from  the  interior.  It  was  a  sign 
that  the  council  was  not  yet  assembled,  and  especially  that 
the  religious  chiefs  had  not  made  their  appearance.  Those 
who  were  present  assumed  any  posture  imaginable,  pro 
vided  it  gave  them  comfort.  They  talked  and  conversed 
about  very  unimportant  matters,  and  laughed  and  joked. 
There  was  no  division  into  separate  groups,  foreshadowing 
the  drift  of  opinions  and  of  interests ;  for  no  lobbying  was  go 
ing  on.  Every  one  seemed  to  be  as  free  and  easy  as  in 
his  own  home  or  in  the  estufa  among  his  companions,  and 
the  greatest  apparent  harmony  prevailed.  One  man  onlj 
had  retired  to  a  rocky  recess  where  he  sat  aloof  from  the 
others  in  the  darkest  shadow  of  the  already  shadowy  spot. 
It  was  the  old  chief  of  the  Delight  Makers,  the  Koshare 
Naua. 

When  the  last  two  comers  reached  the  group  and  offered 
the  usual  greeting,  the  conversation  —  in  which  the  delegate 
from  Tzitz  hanutsh,  a  short,  stout  man,  and  his  colleague 
from  Oshatsh  had  been  the  loudest  participants  —  came  to 
a  sudden  stop.  The  subject  of  the  discussion  was  not  a 
reason  for  its  abrupt  breaking  off,  for  it  was  merely  the  all- 
absorbing  topic  as  to  whether  two  summers  ago  it  had 


244  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

rained  as  early  as  this  year.  It  was  out  of  respect  for  the 
maseua,  out  of  deference  to  his  presence,  that  the  other 
clan  representatives  became  silent,  all  except  one.  That 
one  was  Tyope,  who  continued  the  subject,  as  if  he  in 
tended  to  display  greater  independence  than  the  rest. 
Nevertheless,  as  no  one  paid  attention  to  his  speech,  he  felt 
at  last  constrained  to  drop  into  silence.  Not  for  a  long 
time,  however,  for  as  if  he  wished  to  atone  for  his  lack  of 
civility  he  called  out  to  Topanashka,  — 

"  You  are  late,  sa  nashtio  !  " 

"Early  enough  yet,  satyumishe,"  replied  the  old  man 
quietly,  and  Tyame  remarked, — 

"  Shyuamo  dwells  nearer  to  the  uuityam  than  we.  The 
Turquoise  men  have  everything  close  at  hand,  —  the  tapop, 
the  place,  everything,  and  everybody.  All  we  have  is  the 
maseua,"  he  added  laughing,  "and  he  is  very  old." 

The  laughter  became  general,  and  Tyope  said  in  a  tone 
of  flattery,  — 

"  Our  nashtio  is  old,  but  he  is  still  stronger  than  you, 
Tyame.  He  is  also  wiser  than  all  of  us  together.  Our 
father  is  very  strong,  runs  like  a  deer,  and  his  eye  is  that  of 
an  eagle." 

There  was  something  like  irony  in  this  speech,  but  To 
panashka  took  no  notice  of  it.  He  was  looking  for  the 
tapop,  a  difficult  task  in  the  darkness,  where  a  number  of 
men  are  grouped  in  all  kinds  of  postures.  Finally  he 
inquired,  — 

"  Where  is  Hoshkanyi  ?  " 

"  Not  here,"  came  a  reply  irom  several  voices. 

"And  the  yaya?" 

"Tza  yaya,"  was  the  negative  answer. 

"  Then  we  are  not  too  late,"  said  the  war-chief,  turning 
to  Tyame.  He  sat  down  among  the  rest,  and  the  talk  went 
on  as  before  his  arrival. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  24$ 

At  last  the  governor  came.  He  offered  a  short  greet- 
ing  and  received  a  careless  reply.  Then  he  crawled  into 
the  cave,  and  his  assistant  followed  him.  Soon  a  rustling 
noise  was  heard  inside,  a  grating  like  that  of  a  drill  fol 
lowed,  and  everybody  outside  became  silent.  The  tapop 
was  starting  the  council-fire,  and  he  used  for  the  purpose 
that  venerable  implement  of  primitive  times,  the  fire-drill. 
It  was  a  sacred  performance,  therefore  the  sudden  silence 
of  all  within  hearing  of  the  process.  Little  by  little  a  glim 
mer  of  light  illuminated  the  entrance  of  the  cave ;  the  fire 
had  started,  which  was  a  favourable  omen.  Now  the  con 
versation  might  be  resumed,  but  nobody  entered  the  room. 
The  fire  was  burning,  and  its  light  shone  vividly  through 
doorway  and  port-holes,  and  the  men  outside  were  begin 
ning  to  move  and  to  yawn,  and  some  had  even  fallen 
asleep,  but  no  one  gave  a  sign  of  impatience.  Stillness 
prevailed ;  it  was  so  late  that  all  noise  and  bustle  had 
ceased,  and  the  rippling  and  rushing  of  the  brook  alone 
pervaded  the  night. 

Several  more  men  approached  from  various  directions ; 
their  steps  were  almost  inaudible,  and  when  they  reached 
the  company  each  invariably  uttered  a  hoarse  "  guatzena,  sa 
uishe."  One  by  one  the  new-comers  glided  into  the  estufa, 
until  six  of  them  had  entered.  Then  a  metallic  sound  was 
heard  within,  as  if  two  plates  of  very  hard  material  were 
beaten  against  each  other.  All  rose  at  once ;  those  who 
had  fallen  asleep  were  shaken  and  pulled  until  they  woke ; 
and  one  after  another  filed  into  the  chamber,  Topanashka 
being  the  last.  The  metallic  sound  produced  by  two  plates 
of  basalt  had  been  the  call  to  council. 

The  interior  of  the  estufa  was  as  brightly  illuminated  as  a 
small  fire  could  make  it,  the  smoke  of  which  found  egress 
through  the  door  and  the  two  air-holes,  or  rose  to  the 
low  ceiling,  where  it  floated  like  a  grayish  cloud.  The  air 


246  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

was  heavy  and  stifling,  and  the  odour  of  burning  pitch  pro 
ceeded  from  the  pine  wood  with  which  the  flamec  were  fed 
in  the  centre  of  the  room.  Close  to  the  fire  the  tapop  had 
squatted,  with  three  aged  men  by  his  side  in  the  same 
posture.  All  three  wore  short,  black  wraps  with  red  stripes. 
We  recognize  in  one  of  these  men,  who  sit  with  humble, 
downcast  looks,  the  chief  penitent,  or  Hetshanyi ;  the  other 
two  are  his  assistants,  the  shaykatze  and  the  uishtyaka. 
In  their  immediate  neighbourhood  sat  three  others,  whose 
hair  also  was  turning  gray ;  but  they  sat  upright  and  looked 
around  with  freedom  and  assurance.  Their  dress  had 
nothing  particular  or  distinctive  about  it,  but  each  carried 
on  his  head  feathers  of  a  certain  kind.  One,  with  a  tall, 
spare  figure,  an  intelligent  face,  and  dark  complexion,  wore 
behind  each  ear  one  blue  and  one  yellow  feather.  He  was 
the  Hishtanyi  Chayan,  the  principal  medicine-man  of  the 
tribe.  Next  to  him  was  the  Shkuy  Chayan,  or  great  shaman 
for  the  hunt,  equally  tall,  slender,  and  with  a  thin  face  and 
quick,  unsteady  glance.  The  third,  or  Shikama  Chayan,  was 
an  individual  of  ordinary  looks  and  coarse  features,  who  was 
decorated  by  a  single  upright  feather.  The  leaders  of  the 
societies  of  the  Koshare  and  Cuirana  had  squatted  among 
the  central  group,  while  a  projection  that  ran  around  the 
whole  room  served  as  a  bench,  or  settee,  for  the  representa 
tives  of  the  clans. 

This  arrangement  corresponded  closely  to  the  degree  of 
importance  of  the  various  officers,  or  rather  to  their  as 
sumed  proximity  to  the  higher  powers  under  whose  pro 
tection  the  tribe  believed  itself  to  be  placed.  The  tapop, 
as  chairman  of  the  meeting,  occupied  the  middle,  together 
with  the  principal  religious  functionaries,  —  the  yaya,  or 
mothers  of  the  tribe.  On  the  outer  circumference  were 
placed  the  nashtio,  or  fathers,  the  delegates  of  the  clans. 
The  Koshare  Naua  and  his  colleague  of  the  Cuirana  held 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS  247 

an  intermediate  position.  Topanashka,  as  military  head, 
and  the  assistant  governor,  who  had  neither  voice  nor  vote, 
sat  beside  the  entrance,  guarding  it.  A  lieutenant  of  the 
maseua  crouched  outside  to  prevent  the  approach  of 
eavesdroppers. 

As  soon  as  the  rustling  noise  occasioned  by  so  many 
people  taking  their  seats  in  a  small  room  had  subsided, 
the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  again  seized  the  two  basalt  plates  and 
caused  them  to  ring.  When  the  metallic  sound  was  heard, 
everybody  became  very  quiet ;  and  not  one  of  the  twenty- 
three  men  that  composed  the  meeting  moved.  All  main 
tained  the  deepest  silence,  fastening  their  eyes  on  the  ground. 
The  shaman  scattered  sacred  meal  to  the  six  regions,  then 
he  raised  his  eyes  to  the  ceiling,  and  finally  turned  to 
the  three  caciques  with  the  formal  greeting,  "  Guatzena, 
yaya  ! "  then  to  the  others,  with  "  Guatzena,  nashtio  !  " 

Raising  both  hands  upward,  he  pronounced  the  following 
prayer :  — 

"  Raua  Payatyama  our  father,  Sanatyaya  our  mother, 
Maseua,  Oyoyaua !  You  all,  the  Shiuana  all,  the  Kopishtai  all, — 
all,  raua!  Hear  what  we  shall  speak,  witness  all  our  deeds. 
Make  wise  the  heart,  cunning  the  ear,  bright  the  eyes,  and 
strong  the  arm.  Give  us  wisdom  and  goodness,  that  our  hearts 
may  listen  ere  we  say  'yes,'  'no,' or  'perhaps.'  Assist  your 
children,  help  the  Zaashtesh,  that  they  may  remain  united  among 
themselves,  wise,  far-seeing,  and  strong.  We  call  upon  you,  the 
Shiuana,  the  kopishtai ;  whisper  to  us  good  thoughts  and  guide 
us  to  the  right.  To  you,  Payatyama,  Sanatyaya,  Maseua,  —  to 
all  of  you  we  pray.  Raua,  raua  !  Ho-a,  ho-a,  raua  !  " 

Again  the  speaker  scattered  yellow  meal  in  front  of  the 
principal  penitent,  who  only  bowed  in  a  dignified  manner  in 
response.  The  remainder  of  the  assembly  uttered  an  affir 
mative  "  A,  a,"  and  one  after  the  other  rose  and  deposited 
sacrificial  meal  before  the  cacique.  When  each  of  them 


248  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

had  resumed  his  seat,  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  turned  to  the 
tapop  and  looked  inquiringly. 

Hoshkanyi  Tihua  assumed  an  air  of  solemn  importance, 
for  he  was  to  play  a  prominent  role.  He  glanced  around 
the  circle  pompously;  but  when  his  eye  caught  the  cold 
gaze  of  Topanashka  he  felt  almost  a  chill,  and  shrank  to 
natural  and  more  modest  proportions.  He  looked  quickly 
in  the  direction  where  Tyope  was  sitting ;  but  the  delegate 
from  Shyuamo  hanutsh  held  his  face  covered  with  both 
hands,  and  did  not  notice  the  pleading  look  of  the  little 
governor.  So  the  latter  began  in  an  unsteady  tone,  — 

"  Hotshanyi,  shaykatze,  uishtyaka,  and  you,  the  mothers 
of  the  tribe,  hear  me  !  Hear  me  also,  you  who  are  our 
fathers,"  —  his  voice  grew  stronger ;  he  was  recovering 
assurance.  "I  have  called  you  together  to  listen  to 
what  I  say."  He  crowed  the  last  words  rather  than 
spoke  them. 

"My  brother,  the  nashtio  of  Shyuamo  hanutsh,"  con 
tinued  he,  "  has  spoken  to  me  and  said,"  —  he  stopped  and 
shot  a  glance  of  inquiry  over  toward  Tyope,  but  Tyope 
failed  to  note  it,  —  "  satyumishe  has  said, '  Tapop,  my  hanutsh 
is  numerous  and  has  many  children,  but  only  very  little 
maize ;  the  motatza  and  the  makatza  are  many,  but  of 
beans  there  are  few,  and  the  field  we  are  tilling  is  small.' " 
Hoshkanyi  Tihua  was  manifestly  pleased  with  his  own 
eloquence,  for  he  again  looked  around  the  room  for  marks 
of  admiration.  Only  the  icy  look  of  Topanashka  met 
his  gaze,  and  he  proceeded  more  modestly,  — 

"  My  brother  from  Shyuamo  then  said  to  me,  '  See  here, 
nashtio  Tapop,  there  are  the  people  from  Tzitz ;  they  are 
the  least  in  numbers  on  the  Tyuonyi,  and  yet  they  have  as 
much  ground  as  we ;  and  they  raised  as  much  maize  and 
even  more  beans,  for  they  are  higher  up  than  we,  and  get 
more  water  than  we.  Now,  therefore,  call  them  together, 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  249 

all  the  yaya  and  the  fathers,  and  say  to  them,  "Shyuamc 
hanutsh  demands  from  Tzitz  hanutsh  that  it  should  share 
its  field  with  us,  for  where  there  are  two  mouths  of  Shyuamo 
there  is  only  one  of  Tzitz ;  but  when  Tzitz  raises  one  ear 
of  corn,  Shyuamo  grows  not  more  than  one." '  " 

He  had  spoken,  and  drew  a  heavy  sigh  of  relief.  The 
most  profound  silence  reigned.  Tyope  remained  with  his 
head  bowed  and  his  face  covered  with  both  hands.  Topa- 
nashka  sat  rigidly  immovable,  his  cold  piercing  gaze  fastened 
on  the  tapop.  The  representative  of  the  Water  clan  made 
a  very  wry  face  and  looked  at  the  fire. 

The  tapop  had  yet  to  perform  one  duty  ere  discussion 
could  begin.  He  turned  to  the  Hotshanyi  and  addressed 
him, — 

"  Sa  umo,  you  and  your  brethren  the  shaykatze  and  the 
uishtyaka,  I  address;  what  do  you  say  to  what  Shyuamo 
is  asking  ?  Speak,  yaya ;  we  are  your  children ;  we  listen. 
You  are  old  and  wise,  we  are  young  and  weak." 

The  old  cacique  raised  his  dim  eyes  to  the  speaker  and 
replied  in  a  hoarse  voice, — 

"  I  thank  you,  sa  uishe,  —  I  thank  you  for  myself  and  for 
my  brethren  here  that  you  have  put  this  question  to  us. 
But"  —  the  voice  grew  more  steady  and  strong  —  "you 
know  that  it  is  our  duty  to  pray,  to  fast,  and  to  watch,  that 
peace  may  rule  among  the  Zaashtesh  and  that  nothing  may 
disturb  it.  We  cannot  listen  to  anything  that  calls  forth  two 
kinds  of  words,  and  that  may  bring  strife,"  —  he  emphasized 
strongly  the  latter  word;  "we  cannot  therefore  remain. 
May  the  Shiuana  enlighten  your  hearts.  We  shall  pray 
that  they  will  counsel  you  to  do  good  only." 

The  old  Hotshanyi  rose  and  went  toward  the  doorway. 
His  form  was  bent,  his  step  faltering.  His  two  associates 
followed.  Not  one  of  those  present  dared  to  look  at  them. 
Wone  of  them  noticed  the  deeply,  mournfully  significant 


2$0  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

glance  which  the  cacique,  while  he  crept  thiough  the  door, 
exchanged  with  Topanashka. 

The  address  which  the  governor  had  directed  to  the 
official  penitents  was  a  mere  formality,  but  a  formality  that 
could  not  be  dispensed  with.  It  was  an  act  of  courtesy 
toward  those  who  in  the  tribe  as  well  as  in  the  council 
represented  the  higher  powers.  But  as  these  powers  are 
conceived  as  being  good,  it  is  not  allowed  to  speak  in  their 
presence  of  anything  that  might,  in  the  remotest  manner 
even,  bear  evil  consequences  such  as  disunion  and  strife. 
Therefore  the  caciques,  as  soon  as  they  had  been  informed 
of  the  subject,  could  not  stay  at  the  meeting,  but  had  to 
retire. 

This  happens  at  every  discussion  of  a  similar  nature,  and 
their  departure  was  merely  in  the  ordinary  routine  of  busi 
ness.  Nobody  felt  shocked  or  even  surprised  at  it.  But 
everybody,  on  the  other  hand,  noticed  the  reply  given  by 
the  aged  Hotshanyi,  felt  it  like  some  dread  warning,  —  the 
foreboding  of  some  momentous  question  of  danger  to  the 
people.  An  uneasy  feeling  crept  over  many  of  the  assis 
tants  who  were  not,  like  Tyope  and  the  Koshare  Naua,  in 
the  secrets  of  the  case.  After  the  departure  of  the  caciques, 
therefore,  the  same  dead  silence  prevailed  as  before. 

The  tapop  broke  the  silence  by  turning  officially  to  the 
principal  shaman  and  asking  him, — 

"  Sa  umo  yaya,  what  do  you  hold  concerning  the  demand 
of  our  children  from  Shyuamo?" 

The  Chayan  raised  his  face,  his  eyes  sparkled.  He  gave 
his  reply  in  a  positive  tone,  — 

"  I  hold  it  is  well,  provided  Tzitz  hanutsh  is  satisfied." 
He  bent  his  head  again  in  token  that  he  had  said  as  much 
as  he  cared  to  say  for  the  present. 

Hoshkanyi  Tihua  then  interrogated  the  Shkuy  Chayan, 
who  very  pointedly  answered. — 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2$  I 

"  It  is  good." 

His  colleague,  the  Shikama  Chayan,  remained  non-com 
mittal,  saying, — 

"  It  may  be  good,  it  may  not  be  good ;  I  do  not  know. 
My  hanutsh  is  Shutzuna,"  —  he  cast  a  rapid  glance  to  where 
the  delegate  of  the  Prairie-wolf  people  was  sitting,  —  "  and 
we  have  enough  land  for  ourselves." 

The  governor  now  addressed  the  same  question  succes 
sively  to  the  Koshare  Naua  and  to  the  leader  of  the  Cuirana. 
The  dim  eyes  of  the  former  began  to  gleam ;  his  shrivelled 
features  assumed  a  hideous,  wolfish  expression  as  he  spoke 
in  a  voice  trembling  yet  clear, — 

"  It  is  well.  Our  brethren  deserve  what  they  demand. 
If  the  crops  ripen,  my  children  from  Shyuamo  are  those 
who  pray  and  fast  most  of  all.  My  hanutsh  alone  counts 
more  Koshare  than  all  the  others  together.  If  they  get 
more  land  they  will  fast  and  pray  so  much  the  more,  and 
this  they  do  not  for  themselves  only,  but  for  the  benefit  of 
all  who  dwell  on  the  Tyuonyi." 

The  Cuirana  Naua,  on  the  other  hand,  gave  a  confused 
and  unsatisfactory  reply.  In  his  opinion  it  would  be  well 
if  both  clans  could  agree. 

It  was  next  the  turn  of  the  clan  delegates  to  be  called  up. 
They  were  those  most  directly  interested,  but  until  now 
they  had,  out  of  deference  for  their  religious  leaders,  main 
tained  an  absolutely  passive  attitude.  After  the  Cuirana 
Naua  had  spoken,  however,  many  raised  their  faces,  changed 
their  positions;  some  looked  at  the  tapop  with  an  air  of 
expectancy,  others  glanced  around,  still  others  seemed  to 
denote  by  their  demeanour  that  they  were  anxious  and 
eager  to  speak.  Tyope  and  Topanashka,  alone,  did  not 
change  their  attitudes.  The  former  remained  with  his 
head  bent  and  his  face  covered  with  both  hands ;  the  lat 
ter,  who  happened  almost  directly  to  face  Tyope,  witb 


2$2  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

head  erect  and  an  expression  of  calm  watchfulness  on  his 
features. 

It  was  of  course  impossible  to  foretell  the  general  feeling 
among  the  members  of  the  council  in  regard  to  the  de 
mands  of  the  Turquoise  people.  The  Shkuy  Chayan  and 
the  Koshare  Naua  had  declared  themselves  favourable  to 
their  pretensions,  but  on  the  other  hand  the  Hishtanyi 
Chayan  —  and  his  word  had  greater  weight  than  their 
speeches  —  had  made  a  very  significant  suggestion  by  re 
minding  the  governor  in  his  reply  that  the  matter  did  not 
properly  come  before  the  tribal  council,  but  should  be  settled 
between  the  two  clans  directly  interested.  Hoshkanyi 
Tihua  should  have  taken  the  hint;  but  Hoshkanyi  Tihua 
had  not  the  slightest  tact;  and  besides,  as  a  member  of 
the  clan  Shyuamo,  he  felt  too  much  interested  in  the  matter 
not  to  be  eager  to  press  it  at  once,  however  imprudent  and 
out  of  place  such  action  might  be.  He  was,  moreover, 
utterly  unconscious  of  the  fact  that  he  was  nothing  but  a 
tool  which  both  Tyope  and  the  Naua  wielded  to  further 
their  perfidious  designs. 

^  The  tapop  therefore  called  upon  the  delegate  of  the  Sun 
clan  to  speak.  He  dwelt  not  far  from  the  Turquoise  peo 
ple,  and  he  expressed  himself  strongly  in  their  favour. 

"  It  is  true,"  said  he,  "  and  I  know  it  to  be  so,  that  my 
friends  of  Shyuamo  are  hungry.  I  know  it,  and  it  is  true 
also,  that  the  Water  people  have  too  much  ground.  It  is 
right,  therefore,  for  Shyuamo  to  ask  for  a  share  of  what 
they  have  in  excess.  How  much  it  shall  be,  they  must 
settle  among  themselves." 

Everybody  did  not  appear  to  be  satisfied  with  this ;  but 
when  the  tapop  summoned  the  representative  of  the  Bear 
clan  to  give  his  opinion,  the  speech  of  the  latter  was  not  only 
stronger,  it  was  even  offensive  to  the  Water  people.  He 
accused  them  of  having  done  wrong  in  not  sharing  their 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  253 

fields  with  the  clan  of  the  Turquoise  some  time  before, 
since  it  was  the  duty  of  those  who  had  too  much  to  divide 
with  those  who  were  poorer.  He  said  that  it  was  wrong 
on  the  part  of  Tzitz  to  have  remained  silent  when  they 
knew  how  much  Shyuamo  did  for  the  tribe,  while  at  the 
same  time  they  had  not  enough  for  their  own  existence. 
He  charged  the  tapop,  in  the  name  of  the  council,  with 
delinquency  in  not  having  required  the  Water  people  to 
share  their  superabundance  with  those  of  the  Turquoise. 
The  delegate  of  Kohaio  was  not  only  aggressive  in  his 
speech,  but  his  manner  of  delivering  it  was  brusque  and 
violent,  and  created  quite  a  stir ;  and  many  of  the  members 
cast  glances  at  him  which  were  not  of  a  friendly  nature. 

It  was  now  the  turn  of  the  delegate  of  the  Water  people  ; 
and  much  depended  upon  what  he  would  say,  for  he  was, 
besides  the  members  from  Shyuamo,  the  party  most  in 
terested  in  the  proceedings.  Kauaitshe,  as  he  was  called, 
was  not,  unfortunately,  the  man  for  the  situation.  Short  and 
clumsy  in  figure,  extremely  good-natured  and  correspond 
ingly  slow  in  thought  and  action,  he  was  intellectually 
heavy  and  dull.  When  the  demand  upon  his  clan  was 
first  formulated,  he  listened  to  it  like  one  whom  it  does 
not  concern,  and  only  gradually  came  to  the  conception 
that  the  matter  was  after  all  of  prime  importance  to  him 
and  to  those  whose  interests  he  had  been  selected  to  de 
fend.  Kauaitshe  was  thunderstruck  upon  arriving  at  full 
comprehension ;  he  was  bewildered,  and  would  much  rather 
have  run  away  from  the  council.  But  that  was  impossible. 
He  heard  the  men  speak  one  by  one,  and  —  what  to  him 
caused  most  anxiety  —  he  saw  the  moment  approaching 
when  he  also  would  be  called  upon ;  and  the  prospect  filled 
him  with  dismay.  What  should  he  say !  What  could  he 
say !  The  injustice  intended  toward  his  constituents,  the 
necessity  of  undertaking  a  task  for  which  he  felt  himself 


254  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

incapable,  terrified  him  at  first  and  soon  drove  him  to  uttei 
despair ;  and  as  all  weak  and  lazy  natures,  when  they  see 
themselves  driven  to  the  wall,  become  frenzied,  Kauaitshe, 
when  the  tapop  turned  to  him,  exploded  like  a  loaded 
weapon,  venting  his  wrath  upon  the  governor  instead  of 
r  calmly  discussing  the  matter  itself.  He  saw  in  the  governor 
not  only  a  member  of  the  clan  whose  plans  were  detri 
mental  to  the  interests  of  his  kinsmen,  but  chiefly  the  instru 
ment  by  means  of  which  he  was  placed  in  the  present 
difficult  position.  His  face  turned  dark,  then  yellow.  His 
eyes  glowed  like  embers.  Bounding  from  his  seat,  he  ad 
vanced  toward  the  chairman  and  hissed,  — 

"  I  have  heard.  Yes,"  —  his  voice  became  louder,  —  "I 
have  heard  enough.  Enough  ! "  he  screamed.  "  You 
want  to  take  from  us  what  is  ours  !  You  want  to  rob 
us,  to  steal  from  my  people  in  order  that  your  people  may 
prosper  and  we  may  suffer  !  That  is  what  you  want,"  and 
he  shook  his  clenched  fist  in  the  face  of  the  tapop.  The 
latter  started  up  like  an  irate  turkey,  and  screamed,  — 

"  You  lie  !  what  we  want  from  you  is  right !  You  are 
only  a  few  people,  and  you  are  lazy ;  whereas  we  are  many 
\  said  thrifty ;  you  are  a  liar  !  " 

"  Hush  !  hush  ! "  sounded  the  voice  of  the  principal 
jhaman,  between  the  shouts  and  screams  of  the  disputing 
parties. 

"  No  !  no  !  "  shrieked  Kauaitshe,  "  I  will  not  hush.  I 
will  speak  !  I  will  tell  these  friends  —  " 

"Water-mole  !"  yelled  the  tapop  in  response;  and  both 
the  Koshare  Naua  and  Tyope  cried  at  once,  — 

"  We  are  Shyuamo,  not  shuatyam."  Their  voices  sounded 
like  the  threatening  snarls  of  wild  beasts. 

"  Hush  !  hush  !  "  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  now  sternly  com 
manded.  Rising,  he  grasped  the  little  governor  by  the 
shoulder,  pulled  him  back  to  his  place  on  the  floor,  and 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2$$ 

warningly  raised  his  hand  toward  Kauaitshe,  whose  mouth 
one  of  his  colleagues  had  already  closed  by  force. 

"  If  you  hope  for  light  from  Those  Above,"  the  medicine 
man  warned  the  delegate  from  Tzitz,  "  you  must  not  name 
in  their  presence  the  powers  of  darkness."  To  the  tapop 
he  said,  — 

"  Do  your  duty,  but  do  it  as  it  ought  to  be  done  ! " 

Kauaitshe  reeled  back  to  his  place,  where  he  sat  down  in 
sullen  silence.  It  happened  to  him  as  it  always  does  to 
any  one  who  loses  his  temper  at  the  wrong  time  and  in 
the  wrong  place ;  after  the  flurry  is  over,  they  find  that 
they  have  wasted  all  their  energies,  and  remain  henceforth 
incapable  of  any  effort.  The  delegate  of  the  Water  people 
was  hors  du  combat  for  the  remainder  of  the  evening. 

The  incident  had  made  an  impression  on  the  assembly. 
Nearly  everybody  shared  more  or  less  in  the  excitement. 
Now  that  quiet  was  restored,  apparent  calmness  seemed  to 
prevail  in  their  minds  again.  The  men  stared  as  motion 
less  as  before ;  but  their  faces  were  dark,  and  many  an 
eye  displayed  a  spark  of  passionate  fire.  Topanashka  had 
not  moved  during  the  quarrel,  and  Tyope  hid  his  face  in 
his  hands  as  before. 

Hoshkanyi's  voice  still  trembled  as  he  called  upon  the 
representative  of  Tanyi  hanutsh.  The  latter  replied, — 

"There  is  more  land  yet  at  the  Tyuonyi;  let  Shyuamo 
increase  their  ground  from  some  waste  tract." 

"There  is  no  room  for  it,"  growled  the  Koshare  Naua. 

"I  say  there  is,"  defiantly  retorted  the  other. 

The  delegate  of  the  Prairie-wolf  people  was  not  only  of 
the  same  opinion  as  his  predecessor,  he  even  mentioned  a 
tract  of  waste  land  that  lay  east  of  the  cultivated  plots, 
from  which  Shyuamo  might  take  what  they  needed.  The 
speaker  of  Tzina  hanutsh,  however,  was  of  an  adverse 
opinion.  He  remarked  that  it  was  always  better  for  a 


256  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

smaller  clan  to  divide  their  ground  with  a  more  powerful 
one,  as  in  that  case  larger  crops  would  be  raised.  As 
matters  stood,  he  added,  only  a  portion  of  the  land  be 
longing  to  the  Water  people  was  tilled.  This  the  mem 
ber  from  Huashpa  denied,  and  reminded  him  that  the 
Hishtanyi  Chayan  had  suggested  that  the  whole  matter 
should  be  settled  by  the  two  clans  privately.  Both  the 
Cuirana  Naua  and  Tyame,  the  delegate  of  the  Eagle  clan, 
could  not  refrain  from  expressing  their  approval  in  an 
jiudible  manner  by  the  customary  "A-2,"  and  the  Shikama 
Chayan  slightly  nodded  assent. 

It  was  already  late,  but  nobody  thought  of  the  hour. 
On  such  occasions  the  Indian  can  sit  up  whole  nights 
without  ever  thinking  of  rest.  Not  only  was  everybody  in 
terested,  but  the  excitement,  although  barely  visible  on  the 
surface,  was  rapidly  growing;  and  personal  ill-feeling  and 
spite  cropped  out  more  and  more. 

Tyame  having  expressed  himself  in  favour  of  the  opinion 
•){  the  delegate  from  Huashpa  hanutsh,  the  tapop  could  not 
refrain  from  going  out  of  the  ordinary  routine  in  order  to 
slight  him,  and  to  give  the  floor  to  the  member  from  Hiits 
Hanyi.  This  flattered  the  popular  delegate,  and  he  accord 
ingly  spoke  so  strongly  in  favour  of  the  claim  presented  by 
Shyuamo  that  at  the  close  of  his  speech  several  voices  at 
once  grunted  assent.  Both  parties  were  growing  decidedly 
bitter. 

Tyame  noticed  the  intended  slight ;  so  when  Hoshkanyi 
called  him  up  he  opened  his  talk  with  the  remark,  — 

"  One  can  see  that  you  are  Shyuamo." 

"  That  is  what  I  am,"  the  little  fellow  bragged. 

"  But  you  are  tapop  also,"  Tyame  objected. 

"Why  do  you  speak  thus?  Are  you  angry  that  you 
could  not  be  used  for  the  place?"  venomously  inquired 
the  governor. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2$/ 

"  If  I  were  in  your  place,"  retorted  the  Eagle,  "  I  should 
do  as  is  customary,  and  call  upon  each  one  in  turn." 

"  You  have  time  enough  left  to  speak  against  Shyuamo," 
said  the  chief  of  the  Delight  Makers  in  a  wicked  manner. 

"That  I  shall  do,  most  assuredly,"  exclaimed  Tyame. 
"  I  am  against  giving  Shyuamo  any  more  ground  than  they 
have  at  present.  You  have  enough  for  yourselves,  for  your 
women,  and  for  all  your  children.  Do  more  work  in  the  field 
and  do  less  penance ;  be  shyayak  rather  than  Koshare  ! " 
He  rose  and  turned  toward  Tyope.  "Your  woman  be 
longs  to  our  hanutsh,  and  I  know  that  it  is  not  you  who  feed 
her ;  and  so  you  are,  all  of  you.  You  live  from  other  peo 
ple's  crops ! " 

Tyope  looked  up,  and  his  eyes  flashed ;  but  in  a  quiet 
tone  he  answered, — 

"Your  woman  is  Shyuamo;  you  know  best  how  it  is." 
The  other  continued  with  growing  passion,  — 

"And  when  your  wife  was  from  Tzitz  everybody  knew 
that  it  was  not  you  who  supported  her,  but  that  she  main 
tained  you  !  " 

Loud  murmurs  arose,  and  the  Shkuy  Chayan  called  Tyame 
to  order,  so  that  Tyope  did  not  have  time  for  a  reply  to 
this  insulting  insinuation. 

Of  all  the  clans  represented  three  had  yet  to  express 
their  views.  These  were  the  clans  of  Yakka,  of  the  Pan 
ther,  and  Shyuamo.  The  delegate  of  the  Corn  people  was 
no  friend  of  Tyame's,  therefore  he  spoke  directly  against 
what  the  Eagle  had  intimated.  He  emphasized  how  detri 
mental  it  might  become  for  a  small  cluster  to  own  too  much 
tillable  land  while  a  large  and  important  clan  was  suffering 
for  the  lack  of  vegetable  food.  With  notable  shrewdness, 
he  exposed  to  the  meeting  the  danger  for  the  whole  triba 
in  case  one  of  its  principal  components  should  begin  te 
decrease  in  numbers.  He  wound  up  by  saying,-— 

17 


2$8  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  The  strong  hanutsh  are  those  who  maintain  the  tribe, 
for  they  are  those  who  give  us  the  most  people  that  da 
penance  for  the  welfare  of  all,  be  they  Koshare  or  Cuirana. 
They  also  have  the  greatest  number  of  warriors  and  hunters. 
If  they  have  nothing  to  eat,  they  cannot  watch,  pray,  and 
fast  in  honour  of  Those  Above  !  So  the  Shiuana  and  the 
Kopishtai  become  dissatisfied  with  us,  and  withdraw  their 
protection  from  their  children ;  and  we  become  lost  through 
suffering  those  to  starve  who  are  most  useful."  But  he 
omitted  altogether  the  important  fact  that  there  was  still 
waste  land  in  the  gorge,  and  that  it  was  far  preferable  to 
redeem  such  tracts  than  to  create  dissension. 

Still  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  the  clearing  of  tim 
bered  expanses,  such  as  those  on  the  eastern  end  of  the 
valley  mostly  were,  opposed  great  difficulties  to  the  Indian. 
At  the  time  when  the  Rito  was  settled,  the  native  had 
only  stone  implements.  To  cut  down  trees,  to  clear  brush 
even,  was  a  tedious  and  protracted  undertaking  when  it 
had  to  be  performed  with  stone  axes  and  hatchets.  Fire 
was  the  most  effective  agent,  but  fire  in  such  proxim 
ity  to  the  dwellings  was  a  dangerous  servant.  On  the 
western  end  there  was  no  tillable  land  beyond  the  patches 
f  of  the  Water  clan.  Still,  if  there  had  been  any  disposition 
on  the  part  of  Shyuamo  to  be  reasonable,  they  would  have 
remained  satisfied  with  extending  their  field  slowly  and 
gradually  toward  the  east ;  but  neither  Tyope  nor  the  Naua 
really  wanted  more  land ;  what  they  desired  was  strife, 
disunion,  an  irremediable  breach  in  the  tribe. 

The  Panther  clan,  whose  representative  had  to  speak  now, 
was  a  cluster  which  belonged  neither  to  the  larger  nor  to 
the  smaller  groups.  Occupying,  as  was  the  case,  a  section 
of  the  big  house,  the  Panther  people  were  consequently 
near  neighbours  of  Tanyi,  and  they  sympathized  generally 
with  the  latter.  Their  delegate,  however,  was  Koshare,  and 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  259 

he  leaned  not  so  much  toward  the  Turquoise  as  toward 
what  seemed  to  be  the  desire  of  the  leading  Delight  Makers, 
—  the  Naua  and  Tyope.  He  therefore  expressed  himself 
bluntly  in  favour  of  Tzitz  hanutsh  giving  up  a  certain  quan 
tity  of  land  to  the  clan  Shyuamo,  without  stating  his  opinioi 
or  suggesting  in  the  least  how  it  ought  to  be  done. 

Every  member  of  the  council,  Tyope  and  Topanashkg 
excepted,  had  spoken.  The  majority  of  votes  seemed  in 
favour  of  the  claim  represented,  but  it  is  not  plurality  of 
votes  which  decides,  but  unanimity  of  opinion  and  con 
viction  ;  and  finally  and  in  the  last  instance,  the  utterances 
of  those  who  speak  in  the  name  of  the  powers  above.  The 
shamans  had  given  their  opinions,  the  Shkuy  was  manifestly 
favourable  to  Shyuamo,  but  his  colleague,  the  Hishtanyi 
Chayan,  had  spoken  in  a  manner  that  restricted  the  point 
at  issue  to  a  discussion  among  the  clans  directly  interested. 
The  Histanyi  Chayan  was  a  personage  of  great  authority, 
and  many  of  those  who  were  on  the  side  of  the  Turquoise 
people  thought  his  word  to  be  law  in  the  end.  They  had 
shown  themselves  friendly  toward  their  brethren  of  Shyu 
amo,  willing,  however,  to  abide  by  what  the  closing  discus 
sion  would  bring  to  light.  That  discussion  was  yet  to 
commence,  and  the  opening  was  to  be  the  speech  of  Tyope 
himself.  Much  stress  also  was  laid  upon  what  Topanashka 
would  say,  for  he  too  was  to  take  part.  Some  had  their 
misgivings  concerning  the  real  object  of  the  move  which 
every  one  felt  certain  Tyope  and  the  Koshare  Naua  had  set 
on  foot ;  and  when  the  tapop  summoned  Tyope  to  speak  at 
last,  there  was  something  like  a  subdued  flutter  among  the 
audience.  Many  turned  their  heads  in  the  direction  of  the 
speaker,  others  displayed  in  their  features  the  marks  of 
unusual  attention. 

Tyope  rose  slowly  from  his  seat.  He  looked  around 
quietly ;  there  was  a  sardonic  smile  on  his  lips.  His  eyec 


260  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

almost  closed  ;  he  spoke  in  a  muffled  voice,  slowly  and  very 
distinctly.  He  was  evidently  master  of  his  subject,  and  a 
natural  orator. 

"Yaya,  nashtio,  Tapop,  I  have  heard  what  you  have  all 
said,  and  it  is  well,  for  it  is  well  for  each  one  of  you  to  have 
spoken  his  thoughts,  in  order  that  the  people  be  pleased 
and  delight  come  into  their  hearts.  For  there  are  many  of 
us,  the  fathers  of  the  tribe,  and  each  one  has  his  own 
thoughts ;  and  thoughts  are  like  faces,  never  two  alike.  For 
this  reason  did  I  speak  to  our  father  the  tapop  that  he 
should  call  in  the  uuityam,  in  order  that  all  might  hear  and 
that  nobody  could  say  afterward,  — '  Shyuamo  hanutsh  has 
taken  from  Tzitz  hanutsh  what  belonged  to  the  Water 
people,  and  behold  we  knew  nothing  about  it ! '  Shyuamo 
hanutsh  "  —  he  raised  his  voice  and  glanced  around  with 
flashing  eyes  —  "  has  many  people  ;  Shyuamo  is  strong  !  But 
the  men  of  the  Turquoise  are  just !  They  go  about  in  day 
light  and  speak  loudly,  and  are  not  like  the  water  that  roars 
at  night  and  drops  into  silence  as  soon  as  oshatsh  brightens 
the  world."  After  this  fling  at  the  delegate  of  the  Water 
clan,  Tyope  paused  a  moment;  he  seemed  to  wait  for  a 
reply,  but  none  came,  the  explanation  of  his  action  in  car 
rying  the  matter  before  the  council  appearing  to  satisfy  all. 
"  Shyuamo  hanutsh,"  he  proceeded,  "  is  great  in  numbers 
but  weak  in  strength,  for  its  people  have  no  food  for  them 
selves,  and  what  they  raise  is  barely  enough  for  their  koitza, 
their  makatza,  and  the  little  ones.  They  themselves  must 
starve,"  he  cried,  "  in  order  that  other  clans  may  increase 
through  the  children  which  my  men  beget  with  their 
daughters  !  " 

The  most  profound  silence  followed  these  words.  The 
speaker  paused  again  and  looked  around  as  if  challenging 
an  answer.  He  felt  very  sure  of  his  point. 

"  We  have  worked,  worked  as  hard  as  any  one  on  the 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  261 

Tyuonyi,  but  our  numbers  have  grown  faster  than  our  crops. 
Go  and  look  at  the  field  of  Shyuamo  and  you  will  see  how 
many  are  the  corn-plants,  and  how  large  the  ears  of  corn, 
but  the  field  is  too  small !  We  have  not  more  land  than 
the  Turkey  people,  and  not  as  much  as  the  Water  clan  ! 
When  during  last  summer  no  rain  fell,  notwithstanding  all 
our  fasting,  prayer,  and  sacrifice,  when  yamunyi  dried  up  and 
kaname  shrivelled,  Tzitz  hanutsh  still  had  enough  to  eat, 
and  its  men  grew  fat !  "  This  hint  at  the  stout  repre 
sentative  of  the  Water  clan  created  great  hilarity.  Her 
representative  growled,  — 

"  You  are  not  lean  either." 

Without  noticing  this  interruption,  Tyope  proceeded,  — 

"  Its  women  and  its  children  are  well !  But  we,  at  the 
bwer  end  of  the  cliffs,"  —  he  extended  his  arm  to  the  east,  — 
"  starve  in  order  that  your  daughters  and  the  little  ones 
r.vhom  we  have  begotten  to  the  other  clans  shall  not  perish. 
We  had  no  more  than  food  enough  to  pray  for,  to  fast  for, 
in  order  that  the  Shiuana  might  not  let  our  brethren  be 
lost."  Here  the  Koshare  Naua,  as  well  as  the  representa 
tive  of  the  Panther  clan,  uttered  an  audible  "A-a;"  and 
even  the  Shkuy  Chayan  nodded.  "  How  many  Koshare  are 
there  in  Tzitz  hanutsh  ?  How  many  in  Tanyi  ?  How  many 
in  Tyame  who  would  sacrifice  themselves  for  the  ripening 
of  fruit  ?  How  many  in  Huashpa  ?  Shyuamo  alone  has  as 
many  Delight  Makers  as  the  remainder  of  the  Zaashtesh. 
One  single  clan  as  many  as  eleven  others  together  !  And  "  — 
he  drew  himself  up  to  his  full  height  and  fastened  on  the 
delegate  of  the  Water  clan  a  glance  of  strange  fierceness, 
as  he  cried  —  "while  your  Koshare  feed  themselves  well 
between  the  fasts,  ours  starve  to  regain  strength  after  they 
have  watched,  prayed,  and  starved  ! " 

This  explosion  of  bitter  reproach  was  again  followed  by 
deep  silence.  Tyope  was  indeed  a  fascinating  speaker. 


262  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

The  maseua  and  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  were  the  only  ones 
whom  his  oratorical  talent  could  not  lead  astray.  He  pro 
ceeded  in  a  quieter  tone,  — 

"We  need  more  land.  Some  of  our  fathers  have  sug 
gested  that  we  should  extend  our  territory  to  the  eastward 
and  open  the  soil  there.  They  mean  well ;  but  there  is  not 
enough,  and  the  pines  are  too  near.  Shall  we  go  as  far  as 
Cuapa,  where  there  is  enough  soil,  or  where  the  kauaush 
descends  to  the  painted  cave  ?  Shall  we  go  and  live  where 
the  Moshome  would  surround  us  and  howl  about  like  hungry 
wolves?  No  !  Ere  we  do  this  we  have  thought  to  say  to  our 
brethren,  *  Tzitz  has  more  land  than  it  needs ;  Tzitz  is  our 
brother ;  and  we  will  ask  them,  "  Satyumishe,  give  us  some 
of  that  of  which  you  have  too  much,  so  that  we  may  not  be 
lost." '  But  not  to  the  Water  people  alone  did  we  wish  to 
speak ;  no,  to  all  of  you,  to  the  yaya  nashtio  and  the  tapop, 
that  you  all  may  know  it  and  assist  us  in  our  need.  For 
rather  than  starve  we  shall  leave  the  Tyuonyi  and  look  for 
another  place.  And  then,"  he  concluded,  "you  will  be 
come  weak  and  we  shall  be  weak ;  and  the  Moshome,  the 
Tehuas,  and  the  Puyatye  will  be  stronger  than  the  Queres, 
for  we  shall  be  divided  !  " 

He  resumed  his  seat  in  token  that  his  speech  was  ended. 
From  all  sides  sounded  the  affirmative  grunt  "  A-a-a ;  "  the 
Shkuy  Chayan  and  the  Cuirana  Naua  even  nodded.  Tyope 
had  spoken  very  well. 

Hoshkanyi  Tihua  was  delighted  with  the  talk  of  his  clan- 
brother.  Forgetful  of  his  position  as  chairman  he  looked 
around  the  circle  proudly,  as  if  to  say,  "He  can  do  it 
better  than  any  one  of  you."  The  stillness  that  followed 
was  suddenly  broken  by  the  voice  of  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan, 
who  called  out  in  a  dry,  business-like  manner,  — 
(~  "  Our  brother  Tyope  has  spoken  well,  and  all  the  others 
have  spoken  as  their  hearts  directed  them  to  speak  ;  but  my 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  263 

brother"  —  he  emphasized  the  my — "the  maseua  has  not 
yet  said  what  he  thinks.  My  brother  is  very  wise.  Let 
him  open  his  heart  to  us." 

There  was  a  slight  commotion  among  the  assembled  par 
ties.  The  speech  of  Tyope  had  so  monopolized  their  atten 
tion  that  none  of  them  had  thought  of  the  maseua.  Now 
they  were  reminded  of  his  presence  through  the  principal 
medicine-man  himself,  and  that  reminder  acted  like  a  re 
proach.  The  eyes  of  all,  Tyope  and  the  Koshare  Naua 
excepted,  turned  toward  the  doorway,  where  Topanashka 
was  quietly  sitting.  The  two  men  from  Shyuamo  affected 
to  pay  no  further  attention  to  what  was  going  on. 

Topanashka  Tihua  remained  sitting.  He  directed  hit. 
sharp,  keen  glance  to  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan,  as  if  to  him 
alone  he  condescended  to  speak.  Then  he  said,  — 

"  I  believe  as  you  do,  nashtio  yaya,  but  I  also  believe  as 
you,  Tyope,  have  spoken."  So  great  was  the  surprise  caused 
by  this  that  Tyope  lifted  his  face  and  looked  at  the  old 
man  in  blank  astonishment.  Kauaitshe  stared  at  Topan 
ashka  like  one  suddenly  aroused  by  a  wondrous  piece  of 
news. 

"  Tyope  is  right,"  continued  the  maseua ;  "  Shyuamo 
has  not  soil  enough.  He  is  also  right  in  saying  that 
there  is  not  room  enough  on  the  Tyuonyi  for  making 
new  plantations." 

"  A-a,  "  the  delegate  from  the  Turquoise  interjected. 

"  It  is  true  our  brethren  are  suffering  for  want  of  land 
whereon  to  grow  their  corn.  It  is  equally  true  that  Tzitz 
hanutsh  has  more  land  than  it  needs,  and  it  is  well  that 
Shyuamo  should  ask  for  what  it  wants  and  not  leave  the 
Zaashtesh  forever.  Tyope  has  well  spoken." 

Nothing  can  describe  the  effect  of  this  speech.  Even  the 
chief  of  the  Delight  Makers  smiled  approvingly  a  hideous, 
satanic  grin  of  pleasure.  He  felt  like  loving  the  speaker; 


264  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

that  is,  provided  the  schemer  had  been  capable  of  liking 
anybody  but  himself.  The  eyes  of  Tyope  sparkled  with  grim 
delight.  Kauaitshe  and  Tyame  hung  their  heads,  and  reck 
oned  themselves  lost  forever.  The  maseua  continued,  still 
addressing  the  principal  shaman,  — 

"  But  you  are  right  also,  nashtio  yaya,  when  you  say  that 
it  is  Tzitz  hanutsh  who  shall  decide  whether  or  not  it  wishes 
to  part  with  some  of  its  fields  for  the  benefit  of  the  Tur 
quoise  people."  Both  Tyope  and  the  Koshare  Naua  grew 
very  serious  at  these  words.  "  We  cannot  compel  the  Water 
people  to  give  up  any  of  their  soil." 

"  No,"  the  Shikama  Chayan  audibly  whispered. 

"  But  if  Shyuamo  hanutsh  says  to  Tzitz  hanutsh,  '  We  will 
give  you  such  and  such  things  that  are  precious  to  you  ii 
you  give  us  the  land,'  and  does  it,  —  then  I  am  in  favour  of 
compelling  Tzitz  hanutsh  to  give  it;  for  it  is  better  thus 
than  that  the  tribe  should  be  divided  and  each  part  go 
adrift.  These  are  my  thoughts,  sa  nashtio  yaya." 

The  Hishtanyi  Chayan  actively  nodded  assent,  and  all 
around  the  circle  approving  grunts  were  heard.  The  old 
man's  speech  satisfied  the  majority  of  the  council,  with  the 
sole  exception  of  those  who  represented  the  clan  Shyu 
amo;  it  was  now  their  turn  to  become  excited,  and  the 
Koshare  was  the  first  one  to  display  his  dissatisfaction. 

"  What  shall  we  give  ?  "  he  muttered.  "  We  are  poor,  we 
have  nothing.  Why  should  we  give  anything  for  that  which 
does  not  help  the  others  ?  It  will  help  us,  but  only  us  and 
_  nobody  else.  We  give  nothing  because  we  have  nothing," 
he  hissed  at  last,  and  looked  at  Tyope  as  if  urging  him 
to  be  firm  and  not  to  promise  anything  under  any  circum 
stances.  Tyope  remained  mute  ;  the  words  of  the  maseua 
appeared  to  leave  him  unmoved.  But  Tyame,  the  man  of 
the  Eagles,  became  incensed  at  this  refusal  on  the  part  of 
the  Turquoise  people.  He  shouted  to  the  Koshare  Naua. — 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS,  265 

"  What !  you  will  give  nothing  ?  Why  are  you  Koshare,  1 
then?  Why  are  you  their  chief?  Do  you  never  receive 
anything  for  what  you  do?  You  are  wealthy,  you  have 
green  stones,  red  jewels  from  the  water ;  you  have  and  you 
get  from  the  people  everything  that  is  precious  and  makes 
the  heart  glad.  You  alone  have  more  precious  things  than 
all  the  rest  of  us  together  !  " 

"  It  is  not  true  !  "  exclaimed  Tyope. 

"  We  are  poor  !  "  screeched  the  Koshare  Naua. 

Kauaitshe  now  interfered;  he  had  recovered  from  his 
stupor  and  yelled,  "  You  have  much,  you  are  wealthy ! " 
Turning  against  Tyope  he  shouted  to  him, — 

"  Why  should  we,  before  all  the  others,  give  you  the  soil 
that  you  want  ?  Why  should  we,  before  all  the  others,  give 
it  to  you  for  nothing?  You  are  thieves,  you  are  Moshome, 
shutzuna,  tiatiu  !  No  !  "  He  stamped  his  foot  on  the  ground. 
"  No  !  we  will  give  you  nothing,  nothing  at  all,  even  if  you 
give  us  everything  that  the  Koshare  have  schemed  and  stolen 
from  the  people  !  " 

The  commanding  voice  of  the  Hishtanyi  sounded  through 
the  tumult,  —  "Hush!  Hush!"  but  it  was  of  no  avail; 
passions  were  aroused,  and  both  sides  were  embittered  in 
the  highest  degree. 

The  delegate  from  Tanyi  jumped  up,  yelling,  "  Why  do 
you  want  the  ground  from  Tzitz  alone?  Why  not  our 
field  also ; "  and  he  placed  himself  defiantly  in  front  of 
Tyope. 

The  member  from  Huashpa  cried,  — 

"  Are  the  Water  people  perhaps  to  blame  for  the  drought 
of  last  year?" 

"They  are  !  "  screamed  the  Koshare  Naua,  rising;  "Ta- 
pop,  I  want  to  speak ;  make  order  !  " 

"  Silence  !  "  ordered  the  little  governor,  but  nobody 
anv  attention. 


166  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"Satyumishe  Maseua,"  now  shouted  the  principal  sha 
man,  "  keep  order,  the  nashtio  Koshare  wants  to  speak  !  " 

The  tall  man  rose  calmly  ;  he  went  toward  the  cluster  of 
wrangling  men  and  grasped  Kauaitshe  by  the  shoulder. 

"Be  quiet,"  he  ordered. 

Nobody  withstood  his  determined  mien.  All  became 
silent.  Topanashka  leaned  back  against  the  wall,  his  gaze 
fixed  on  the  Koshare.  Everybody  was  in  suspense,  in  ex 
pectation  of  what  the  Naua  might  say.  He  coughed,  and 
began  addressing  the  leading  shaman,  — 

"  Yaya  Hishtanyi,  you  hear  that  the  Water  people  refuse 
to  give  us  the  land  that  we  so  much  need.  They  ask  of  us 
that  we  should  give  them  all  we  have  for  a  small  part  of 
theirs.  The  motatza  from  the  hanutsh  Huashpa  has  asked 
whether  Tzitz  hanutsh  is  perhaps  the  cause  that  the  crops 
failed  last  year.  I  say  it  is  the  cause  of  it !  " 

"  How  so?  "   cried  Tyame. 

"Through  Shotaye,  their  sister,"  replied  the  old  man, 
tilowly. 

It  was  not  silence  alone  that  followed  this  utterance.  A 
stillness  ensued  so  sudden,  so  dismal,  and  so  awful  that  it 
seemed  worse  than  a  grave.  Every  face  grew  sinister,  every 
one  felt  that  some  dread  revelation  was  coming.  Tyope 
held  his  head  erect,  watching  the  face  of  the  old  maseua. 
Topanashka's  features  had  not  moved ;  he  was  looking  at 
the  Koshare  Naua  with  an  air  of  utter  unconcern.  The 
Hishtanyi  Chayan,  on  the  contrary,  raised  his  head  ;  and  the 
expression  of  his  features  became  sharp,  like  those  of  an 
Anxious  inquisitor.  In  the  eye  of  the  Shkuy  Chayan  a  sinis 
ter  glow  appeared.  He  also  had  raised  his  head  and  bent 
the  upper  part  of  his  body  forward.  The  Shikama  Chayan 
assumed  a  dark,  threatening  look.  The  name  of  Shotaye 
had  aroused  dark  suspicions  among  the  medicine-men. 
Their  chief  now  asked  slowly,  measuredly,  — 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  267 

"You  accuse  a  woman  of  having  done  harm  to  the 
tribe  ?  "  Henceforward  he  and  his  two  colleagues  were  the 
pivots  around  which  the  further  proceedings  were  to  revolve. 
The  tapop  was  forgotten;  nobody  paid  attention  to  him 
any  longer. 

"  I  do ;  I  say  that  Shotaye,  the  woman  belonging  to  Tzitz 
hanutsh,  has  carried  destruction  to  the  tribe." 

"  In  what  way?  " 

"  In  preventing  the  rain  from  falling  in  season." 

"And  she  has  succeeded  !  "  ejaculated  Tyope,  in  a  low 
voice,  —  so  low  that  it  was  not  heard  by  all. 

The  Shkuy  Chayan  continued  the  interrogatory.  Nobody 
else  uttered  a  word ;  not  even  the  Hishtanyi  spoke  for  the 
present.  The  latter  disliked  the  woman  as  much  as  any  of 
his  colleagues ;  but  he  mistrusted  her  accusers  as  well,  and 
preferred,  after  having  taken  the  initiatory  steps,  to  remain 
an  attentive  listener  and  observer,  leaving  it  to  his  associ 
ates  to  proceed  with  the  case.  The  Shkuy,  on  the  other 
hand,  was  eager  to  develop  matters ;  he  had  been  secretly 
informed  some  time  ago  of  what  was  known  concerning  the 
witchcraft  proceedings  of  Shotaye,  and  he  hated  the  woman 
more  bitterly  than  any  of  his  colleagues  did ;  and  as  the 
charge  was  the  preventing  of  rain-fall,  it  very  directly  af 
fected  his  own  functions,  —  not  more  than  those  of  the 
Hishtanyi,  who  is  ex-officio  rain-maker,  but  quite  as  much. 

For  drought  not  only  affects  the  crops ;  it  exerts  quite  as 
baneful  an  influence  upon  game ;  and  game,  as  food  for  man, 
is  under  the  special  care  of  the  Shkuy  Chayan.  He  is 
the  great  medicine-man  of  the  hunt.  Drought  artificially 
produced,  as  the  Indian  is  convinced  it  can  be  through 
witchcraft,  is  one  of  the  greatest  calamities  that  can  be 
brought  upon  a  tribe.  As  a  crime,  it  is  worse  than  murder, 
for  it  is  an  attempt  at  wholesale  though  slow  extermination 
The  sorcerer  or  the  witch  who  deliberately  attempts  to  pre 


268  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

~ 

vent  rain-fall  becomes  the  object  of  intense  hatred  on  the 

part  of  all.  The  whole  cluster  of  men  assembled  felt  the 
gravity  of  the  charge.  Horror-stricken,  they  sat  in  mute 
silence,  awaiting  the  result  of  the  investigation  which  the 
Shkuy  Chayan  proceeded  to  carry  on. 

"  How  do  you  know  that  the  aniehna  "  —  he  emphasized 
the  untranslatable  word  of  insult,  and  his  voice  trembled 
with  passion  —  "  has  worked  such  evil  to  the  people  ?  "  The 
query  was  directed  to  the  Koshare  Naua.  The  latter  turned 
to  Tyope,  saying,  — 

"  Speak,  satyumishe  nashtio."     He  squatted  again. 

The  eyes  of  all,  Topanashka's  excepted,  who  did  not  for 
a  moment  divert  his  gaze  from  the  chief  of  the  Delight 
Makers,  were  fixed  on  Tyope.  He  rose  and  dryly  said, — 

"  I  saw  when  Shotaye  Koitza  and  Say  Koitza,  the  daughter 
of  our  father  the  maseua,"  —  everybody  now  looked  at  the 
war-chief  in  astonishment,  dismay,  or  sorrow ;  but  he  re 
mained  completely  impassive,  —  "  who  lives  in  the  abodes 
of  Tanyi  hanutsh,  caused  the  black  corn  to  answer  their  ques 
tions.  And  there  were  owl's  feathers  along  with  the  corn. 
It  was  night,  and  I  could  not  hear  what  they  said.  It  was 
in  the  beginning  of  winter ;  not  last  winter,  but  the  winter 
before." 

"Is  that  all?"  inquired  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  in  turn. 
It  displeased  him  to  hear  that  Tyope  had  been  eavesdrop 
ping  in  the  dark,  —  the  man  had  no  business  in  the  big 
house  at  night. 

"  I  know  also,"  continued  Tyope,  "  that  Shotaye  gathered 
the  feathers  herself  on  the  kauash  toward  the  south." 

"Did  you  see  her?" 

"Yes,"  boldly  asserted  Tyope.  He  lied,  for  he  dared 
not  tell  the  truth ;  namely,  that  the  young  Navajo  was  his 
informant. 

"Is  that  all  ?"  queried  the  Hishtanyi  again. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  269 

"  After  we,  the  Koshare,  had  prayed  and  done  penance 
in  our  own  kaaptsh  I  at  one  time  went  back  to  the  timbers 
on  which  we  climb  up  to  the  cave.  At  their  foot,  below  the 
rocks,  I  found  this  !  " 

He  drew  from  beneath  his  wrap  a  little  bundle,  and 
handed  it  to  the  shaman,  who  examined  it  closely  and  gave 
it  to  his  colleagues,  who  subjected  the  object  to  an  equally 
thorough  investigation.  Those  sitting  along  the  wall  bent 
forward  curiously,  until  at  last  the  bundle  was  turned  over 
to  them  also.  So  it  went  from  hand  to  hand,  each  one 
passing  it  to  the  next  with  sighs  and  marks  of  thorough  dis 
gust.  The  bundle  was  composed  of  owl's  feathers  tied  to  a 
flake  of  black  obsidian. 

"I  found  a  second  one,"  quietly  said Tyope,  pulling  forth 
a  similar  bunch.  Now  the  council  gave  demonstrations  not 
only  of  amazement  but  of  violent  indignation ;  the  shamans 
and  Topanashka  alone  remained  calm.  Both  bunches  were 
given  to  the  tapop,  who  placed  them  on  the  floor  before 
him. 

The  Hishtanyi  Chayan  inquired  further,  — 

"  Where  did  you  find  the  feathers  ?     Say  it  once  more." 

"  At  the  foot  of  the  rocks,  where  we  ascend  to  our  estufa 
on  cross-timbers." 

" Did  you  see  who  put  them  there?  " 

"No." 

"When  do  you  think  they  were  placed  there?" 

"  While  the  Koshare  were  at  work  in  the  estufa." 

"Do  you  know  more?" 

"  Nothing  more."  Tyope  sat  down,  and  the  interrogatory 
was  over. 

It  was  as  still  as  a  grave  in  the  dingy,  ill-lighted  chamber. 
No  one  dared  even  to  look  up,  for  the  matter  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  yaya,  and  they  were  still  thinking  over  it.  The 
demands  of  Shyuamo  hanutsh  were  completely  forgotten, 


2/0  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

the  owl's  feathers  had  monopolized  the  attention  and  the 
thoughts  of  every  one  in  the  room. 

At  last  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  rose.  He  threw  a  glance  at 
his  colleagues,  who  understood  it,  and  rose  also.  Then  the 
great  medicine-man  spoke  in  a  hollow  tone,  — 

"We  will  go  now.  We  shall  speak  to  our  father  the 
Hotshanyi,  that  he  may  help  us  to  consult  Those  Above. 
Four  days  hence  we  shall  know  what  the  Shiuana  think,  and 
on  the  night  following  "  —  he  turned  to  the  tapop  —  "  we 
will  tell  you  here  what  to  do.  In  the  meantime,"  —  he  ut 
tered  these  words  like  a  solemn  warning,  —  "  hush  !  let  none 
of  you  exchange  one  word  on  what  we  have  heard  or  seen  to 
night.  Let  none  of  you  say  at  home,  '  I  know  of  something 
evil,"  or  to  a  friend,  '  bad  things  are  going  on  in  the  tribe.' 
Be  silent,  so  that  no  one  suspect  the  least  thing,  and  that  the 
sentence  of  the  Shiuana  be  not  interfered  with.  Nasha  !  " 
he  concluded,  and  went  toward  the  exit.  Ere  leaving  the 
room,  however,  he  turned  once  more,  adding,  — 

"  And  you  go  also.  Each  one  for  himself  and  alone. 
Let  no  one  of  you  utter  words,  but  all  of  you  pray  and  do 
penance,  keep  open  your  ears,  wide  awake  your  eye,  and 
closed  your  lips." 

With  this  the  shamans  filed  out,  one  after  the  other. 
Their  muffled  steps  were  heard  for  a  moment  as  they  grated 
on  the  bare  rock.  One  by  one  the  other  members  of  the 
council  left  the  chamber  in  silence,  each  wending  his  way 
homeward  with  gloomy  thoughts.  Dismal  anticipations  and 
dread  apprehension  filled  the  hearts  of  every  one. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


AT  the  time  when  the  tribal  council  of  the  Queres  vrai 
holding  the  stormy  session  which  we  have  described  in  the 
preceding  chapter,  quite  a  different  scene  was  taking  place 
at  the  home  of  the  wife  of  Tyope.  That  home,  we  know, 
belonged  to  Hannay,  the  woman  with  whom  Tyope  had 
consorted  after  his  separation  from  Shotaye  ;  and  it  was  also 
the  dwelling  in  which  he  resided  when  other  matters  did 
not  keep  him  away.  The  tie  that  bound  Tyope  to  his  ^ 
second  wife  was  of  rather  a  sensual  nature.  Hannay  was  a 
very  sensual  woman,  but  in  addition  to  this  she  possessed 
qualities  that  made  her  valuable  to  her  husband.  She  was 
extremely  inquisitive,  listened  well,  knew  how  to  inquire, 
and  was  an  active  reporter.  On  her  side  there  was  no  real 
affection  for  Tyope ;  but  her  admiration  for  his  intellectual 
qualities,  so  far  as  she  was  able  to  appreciate  them,  knew 
no  bounds.  It  amounted  almost  to  awe.  Their  connec- 

— 

tion  was  consequently  a  partnership  rather  than  anything 
elsej  —  a  partnership  based  on  physical  affinities,  on  mutual 
interest,  and  on  habit.  Of  the  higher  sort  of  sympathy 
there  was  no  trace.  Neither  had  room  for  it  among  the 
many  occupations  which  their  mode  of  life  and  manner  of 
intercourse  called  forth. 

If  Tyope  was  shrewd  and  cunning,  and  if  he  made  of 
his  own  woman  his  eye,  ear,  and  mouth,  as  has  been  said  in 
one  of  the  previous  chapters,  Hannay  was  not  a  fool.  She 
did  ont  of  course  understand  anything  of  his  plans  and 


272  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

schemes,  and  he  never  thought  it  necessary  to  inform  her ; 
but  she  knew  how  to  manage  him  whenever  anything 
aroused  her  curiosity.  She  contrived  to  gratify  this  some 
times  in  a  way  that  her  husband  failed  to  detect,  —  by  draw 
ing  from  his  talk  inferences  that  were  exceedingly  correct 
and  which  he  had  no  thought  of  furnishing.  For  Tyope 
knew  his  wife's  weakness ;  he  knew  that  if  her  ears  and  her 
eyes  were  sharp,  her  tongue  was  correspondingly  swift ;  and 
he  tried  to  be  as  guarded  as  possible  toward  her  on  any 
topic  which  he  did  not  wish  to  become  public  property. 
Nevertheless  Hannay  succeeded  in  outwitting  her  husband 
more  than  once,  and  in  guessing  with  considerable  accu 
racy  things  that  he  did  not  regard  as  belonging  within  the 
field  of  her  knowledge.  So,  for  instance,  while  he  had 
carefully  avoided  stating  to  her  the  object  of  the  council, 
she  nevertheless  had  put  together  in  her  own  mind  a  num 
ber  of  minor  points  and  hints  to  which  he  attached  no 
importance,  and  had  thus  framed  for  herself  a  probable 
purpose  of  the  meeting  that  fell  not  much  short  of  the  real 
truth. 

The  main  desire  that  occupied  Hannay's  mind  for  the 
present  was  the  union  between  Okoya  and  her  daughter 
Mitsha.  Okoya  had,  unknown  to  himself,  no  stronger  ally 
fchan  the  mother  of  the  girl.  The  motive  that  actuated  her 
in  this  matter  was  simply  the  apparent  physical  fitness  of 
the  match  and  the  momentary  advantages  that  she,  con 
sidering  her  own  age  and  the  loose  nature  of  Indian  mar 
riages,  might  eventually  derive  from  the  daily  presence  of 
Okoya  at  her  home.  In  other  words,  she  desired  the  good- 
looking  youth  as  much  for  herself  as  for  her  child,  and  saw 
nothing  wrong  in  this.  From  the  day  when  Okoya  for  the 
first  time  trod  the  roof  of  her  dwelling  in  order  to  protect 
Mitsha,  she  had  set  her  cap  for  him.  But  she  knew  that 
there  was  no  love  on  the  part  of  Tyope  for  the  relatives 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2/3 

of  Okoya,  paternal  or  maternal,  and  she  was  too  much 
afraid  of  him  to  venture  open  consent  to  a  union  that 
might  be  against  his  wishes.  In  her  mind  Tyope  was  the 
only  stumbling-block  in  the  path  of  the  two  young  people ; 
that  is,  in  the  way  of  her  own  desires. 

She  had  consequently  set  to  work  with  a  great  deal  of 
tact  and  prudence  in  approaching  Tyope  about  the  matter. 
After  a  number  of  preparatory  skirmishes,  she  at  last  ven 
tured  to  tell  him  of  it.  To  her  astonishment  he  took  it 
quite  composedly,  saying  neither  yes  nor  no,  and  displaying 
no  feeling  at  all.  He  saw  not  the  least  objection  to  having 
Okoya  visit  her  house  as  often  as  he  might  please ;  in  fact, 
he  treated  the  matter  with  great  indifference.  This  was  a 
decided  relief  to  her,  and  she  anxiously  waited  for  Okoya's 
first  visit  to  impress  him  most  favourably  regarding  not 
merely  herself  but  her  husband. 

Tyope  indeed  did  not  attach  the  slightest  importance  to 
Okoya  personally.  The  youth  had  no  value  for  him  at 
present ;  he  did  not  dislike  him ;  he  did  not  notice  him  af 
all.  The  boy  was  as  unobjectionable  to  him  as  any  one 
else  whom  he  did  not  need  for  his  purposes.  But  there 
were  points  connected  with  the  union  that  affected  Tyope's 
designs  very  materially,  and  these  would  come  out  in  course 
of  time,  although  he  foresaw  them  already.  In  the  first 
place,  intermarriage  between  the  clans  of  Tanyi  and  Tyame 
was  not  favourable  to  his  scheme,  which  consisted  in  ex 
pelling  gradually  or  violently  four  clusters,  —  Tanyi,  Tyame, 
Huashpa,  and  Tzitz,  from  the  Rito.  The  last-named  clus 
ter  he  wanted  to  get  rid  of  on  account  of  Shotaye,  whom 
he  feared  as  much  as  he  hated ;  the  other  three  he 
wished  to  dispossess  of  their  houses,  which  were  the  best 
secured  against  decay  on  the  Tyuonyi,  in  order  to  lodge 
therein  his  own  relatives  and  their  partisans.  Had  Okoya 
aspired  to  the  hand  of  a  daughter  of  the  Turquoise  clan. 

18 


274  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Tyope  would  have  been  in  favour  of  his  pretensions  at 
once. 

On  the  other  hand,  Okoya  was  very  young ;  he  might  be 
flexible  if  properly  handled ;  and  in  case  the  boy,  whose 
father  was  already  a  Koshare  and  completely  under  Tyope's 
influence,  could  be  induced  to  join  the  society  of  the  De 
light  Makers,  it  would  be  a  gain  fully  compensating  for  the 
other  disadvantages  of  the  situation.  One  more  Koshare  in 
Tanyi,  and  one  who  would  dwell  with  Tyame,  besides,  after 
marriage,  was  a  gain.  It  would  facilitate  the  realization  of 
the  plan  of  a  disruption  of  tribal  ties  by  creating  disunion 
among  the  clans  most  powerful,  after  Shyuamo.  Tyope  did 
not  care  for  the  expulsion  of  certain  special  clusters  as  a 
whole,  provided  a  certain  number  and  a  certain  kind  of 
people  were  removed.  But  the  matter  of  making  a  Koshare 
out  of  Okoya  was  a  delicate  undertaking.  His  wife  had 
already  suggested  as  much  to  him,  and  he  had  insinuated 
to  her  that  she  might  try,  cautioning  her  at  the  same  time 
against  undue  precipitation.  Finally  he  left  the  whole  mat 
ter  in  her  hands  without  uttering  either  assent  or  dissent, 
and  went  about  his  own  more  important  and  much  more 
intricate  affairs. 

Hannay  awaited  Okoya  with  impatience,  but  the  youth 
had  not  appeared  again.  He  was  afraid  of  Tyope  and  also 
afraid  of  her.  The  warnings  of  his  mother  and  Hayoue  he 
had  treasured  deeply,  and  these  warnings  kept  him  away 
from  the  home  of  Mitsha.  Still  he  longed  to  go  there. 
Every  evening  since  the  one  on  which  Say  encouraged  him 
to  go,  he  had  determined  to  pay  the  first  regular  visit,  but  as 
often  as  the  time  came  his  courage  had  abandoned  him  and 
he  had  not  gone.  And  yet  he  must  either  go  or  give  up ; 
this  he  realized  plainly.  There  might  be  a  possibility  of 
some  other  youth  attempting  the  same,  and  then  he  would 
be  too  late,  perhaps.  There  was  no  thought  on  his  part  of 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2?$ 

giving  up ;  he  felt  committed ;  and  yet  he  was  more  afraid  of 
going  to  call  on  the  maiden  than  he  would  have  been  of  en 
countering  some  wild  beast.  Not  on  Mitsha's  account,  oh 
no  !  He  longed  to  meet  her  at  her  own  home,  but  he 
feared  both  her  parents. 

Say  Koitza  instinctively  noticed  her  son's  trouble,  and 
she  became  apprehensive  lest  out  of  timidity  he  might 
suffer  to  escape  him  what  she  now  more  and  more  re 
garded  as  a  golden  opportunity.  At  last,  on  the  evening 
when  the  council  was  to  meet,  a  fact  that  was  well  known  to 
all,  she  said  to  her  son,  — 

"  I  hear  that  sa  nashtio  maseua  is  going  to  the  uuityam 
to-night ;  in  that  case  Tyope  will  be  there  also."  More  she 
did  not  say,  but  Okoya  treasured  the  hint,  and  made  no  re 
mark  about  it,  but  at  once  thought  that  the  time  had  come 
to  pay  a  visit  to  the  maiden.  After  the  sun  had  gone  down 
he  went  out  and  leaned  against  the  northern  wall  of  the  big 
house,  gazing  steadily  at  the  dwellings  of  the  Eagle  clan. 
There  were  too  many  people  about  yet  for  him  to  attempt 
the  call,  and  futhermore  it  was  so  early  that  the  council 
could  hardly  have  assembled.  By  the  light  of  the  moon  he 
saw  clearly  the  movements  of  the  people,  although  it  was 
impossible  to  recognize  individuals  at  any  distance.  The 
boy  sat  down  and  waited.  From  where  he  rested  he  could 
not  fail  to  notice  when  the  delegates  of  the  clans  that 
inhabited  the  big  house  left  for  the  council,  and  that  would 
be  the  signal  for  his  own  starting.  His  heart  beat ;  he  felt 
happy  and  yet  anxious ;  hope  and  doubt  both  agitated  his 
mind. 

One  of  his  comrades  stealthily  approached  Okoya,  sat 
down  on  the  ground  beside  him,  threw  one  arm  around  his 
shoulders,  and  began  to  sing  loudly.  Okoya  chimed  in,  and 
the  two  shouted  at  the  top  of  their  untrained  voices  into  the 
clear  still  night.  Such  is  the  custom  in  Indian  villages 


276  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

A  third  one  joined  them,  finally  a  fourth.  The  latter  lay 
down  on  his  stomach,  rested  his  elbows  on  the  ground,  his 
chin  in  both  hands,  and  sang  in  company  with  the  others. 
Soon  after,  two  men  issued  from  the  gangway  and  walked 
down  the  valley ;  at  last  another  went  in  the  same  direc 
tion.  These  were  the  members  of  the  council,  and  now  it 
was  time  for  Okoya.  As  soon  as  the  song  reached  a  pause, 
he  stood  up,  said  "  sha,"  and  turned  to  go.  One  of  his  com 
panions  seized  him  by  the  ankles,  saying,  "It  is  too  early 
for  you  to  go  to  see  the  girls ; "  and  all  together  added, 
laughing,  "  Don't  go  yet,  later  on  we  will  all  go  together." 

But  Okoya  stepped  firmly  on  the  arm  of  him  who  at 
tempted  to  hold  him  back,  so  that  the  boy  loosened  his 
grip;  then  he  jumped  into  the  passage,  where  they  could 
not  see  him.  He  disliked  to  have  any  one  notice  that  he 
went  to  see  Mitsha.  Waiting  in  the  dark  passage  for  a 
short  time,  he  glided  out  at  last  on  the  side  farthest  from 
where  the  boys  were  still  sitting  and  singing,  crossed  the 
ditch  into  the  high  corn,  and  went  through  the  latter  upward 
until  opposite  the  western  end  of  the  building.  Crossing 
the  ditch  again,  he  reached  the  slope  that  led  to  the 
buildings  occupied  by  the  people  of  the  Eagle.  In  order 
to  mislead  his  comrades,  in  case  they  should  be  on  the 
lookout,  he  went  higher  up  along  the  cliffs  till  he  reached 
the  caves  of  Tzina  hanutsh.  Here  he  looked  back.  The 
three  boys  were  singing  lustily  the  same  monotonous  rhyme 
at  the  same  place  where  he  had  left  them. 

From  the  rock  dwellings  of  the  Turkey  people  there  was 
a  gentle  declivity  to  the  houses  which  the  clan  Tyame  had 
constructed  against  the  perpendicular  wall  of  the  cliffs. 
Okoya  walked  rapidly ;  now  that  he  had  started,  he  longed 
to  reached  Mitsha's  home.  Children  still  romped  before 
the  houses ;  on  the  roofs  entire  families  were  gathered, 
loudly  talking,  laughing,  or  singing.  Some  of  them  had 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2J7 

even  built  small  fires  and  cooked  their  evening  meal  in  the 
wonderfully  cool  and  invigourating  air.  The  terrace  of  the 
abode  whither  Okoya  directed  his  steps  was  deserted,  but  a 
ray  of  light  passed  through  the  opening  in  the  front  wall. 
Nothing  seemed  to  stir  inside  when  the  boy  approached. 

Had  Okoya  glanced  at  that  little  opening  he  might  have 
discerned  a  woman's  face,  which  looked  out  of  it  for  a  mo 
ment  and  then  disappeared  within.  Had  he  stepped  closer 
to  the  wall  he  might  have  heard  a  woman's  voice  inside 
calling  out  in  a  low  tone,  —  "  Mitsha,  he  is  coming  !  "  But 
he  neither  looked  nor  listened  ;  he  was  barely  able  to  think. 
His  feelings  overpowered  him  completely ;  wrapped  in 
them  he  stood  still,  lost  in  conflicting  sentiments,  a  human 
statue  flooded  by  the  silvery  moonlight. 

Somebody  coughed  within  the  house,  but  he  did  not  hear 
it.  Again  the  face  appeared  in  the  small,  round  air-hole. 
Okoya  had  his  face  turned  to  the  east  and  away  from  the 
wall  of  the  house.  At  last  the  spectator  within  thought 
that  the  boy's  musings  were  of  a  rather  long  duration,  and 
she  called  out,  — 

"  Sa  uishe,  opona  !  " 

He  started  and  looked  toward  the  dwelling,  but  saw  only 
two  black  points  peeping  through  the  port-hole.  Again  the 
voice  spoke,  — 

"Why  don't  you  come  in,  motatza?"  Now  he  becama 
conscious  that  Hannay  was  calling  him  into  her  home. 

His  first  impulse  was  to  run  away,  but  that  was  only  a 
passing  thought ;  and  it  became  clear  to  him  that  he  had 
reached  the  place  whither  he  was  going,  and  furthermore 
that  the  women  were  alone.  Without  a  word  of  reply  he 
climbed  the  roof  and  nimbly  down  into  the  apartment. 
He  was  still  on  the  ladder  when  Hannay  repeated  the 
invitation,  — 

"  Opona,  sa  uishe." 


278  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

His  greeting  was  responded  to  by  a  loud  and  warm 
"  Raua,  raua  "  from  the  mother,  and  a  faint,  slightly  tremu 
lous  "  Raua  a  "  from  another  voice,  which  from  its  softness 
could  only  be  that  of  Mitsha.  The  room  was  dark,  for  the 
fire  was  about  to  go  out ;  but  beside  the  hearth  cowered 
a  female  figure  who  had  placed  fresh  wood  on  the  em 
bers  and  was  fanning  them  with  her  breath.  It  was  Mitsha. 
At  the  entrance  of  the  visitor,  she  quickly  stroked  back 
the  hair  that  streamed  over  her  cheeks  and  turned  her 
face  half  around.  But  this  was  for  a  moment  only;  as 
soon  as  the  wood  caught  fire  and  light  began  to  spread 
over  the  room  she  again  blew  into  the  flames  with  all 
her  might.  It  was  quite  unnecessary,  for  the  fire  burned 
lustily. 

Hannay  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  wiping  her 
mouth  with  the  back  of  her  hand.  Stepping  up  to  the  boy 
she  said, — 

"  You  have  not  been  here  for  a  long  time,  motatza."  It 
sounded  like  a  friendly  reproach.  He  modestly  grasped 
her  fingers,  breathed  on  her  hand,  and  replied,  — 

"  I  could  not  come." 

"  You  did  not  want  to  come,"  said  the  woman,  smiling. 

"  I  could  not,"  he  reiterated. 

"  You  could  had  you  wished,  I  know  it ;  and  I  know  also 
why  you  did  not  come."  She  added,  "  Well,  now  you  are 
here  at  last,  and  it  is  well.  Mitsha,  give  your  friend  some 
thing  to  eat." 

The  significant  word  "  friend  "  fell  on  fertile  soil.  It  eased 
Okoya  at  once.  He  sat  down  closer  to  the  hearth,  where 
the  maiden  was  very  busy  in  a  rather  confused  manner,  hei 
face  turned  from  him.  Still  as  often  as  the  strands  of  hail 
accidentally  parted  on  the  left  cheek,  she  shot  quick  side- 
glances  at  him.  Okoya,  balancing  himself  on  his  heels, 
quietly  observed  her.  It  was  impossible  to  devote  to  her 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  2/9 

his  whole  attention,  for  her  mother  had  already  taken  he: 
seat  close  by  him  and  was  claiming  his  ear.  She  offered 
slight  attraction  to  the  eye,  for  her  squatting  figure  was  not 
beautiful.  Okoya  grew  lively,  much  more  lively  than  he 
had  been  on  his  first  visit. 

"  Why  should  I  not  have  wanted  to  see  you?  "  he  good- 
naturedly  asked. 

"  I  will  tell  you,"  Hannay  chuckled ;  "  because  you  were 
afraid." 

"  Afraid  ?  "  he  cried,  "  afraid  ?  Of  whom  ?  "  But  within 
himself  he  thought  the  woman  was  right.  Hannay  smiled. 

"  Of  Mitsha,"  she  said ;  adding,  "  she  is  naughty  and 
strong."  A  peal  of  coarse  laughter  accompanied  this 
stroke  of  wit.  The  girl  was  embarrassed ;  she  hid  her  face 
on  her  lap.  Okoya  replied,  — 

"  Mitsha  does  not  bite." 

"She  certainly  will  not  bite  you,"  the  mother  answered, 
causing  the  maiden  to  turn  her  face  away. 

"Does  she  bite  others?"  Okoya  asked.  Again  Hannay 
laughed  aloud,  and  from  the  corner  whither  Mitsha  had 
retreated  there  sounded  something  like  a  suppressed  laugh 
also.  It  amused  her  to  think  that  she  might  bite  people. 
Her  mother,  however,  explained,  — 

"  No,  Mitsha  does  not  bite  ;  but  if  other  boys  should  come 
•»o  see  her  she  might  perhaps  strike  them.  But  you,  sa 
aishe,"  —  the  woman  moved  closer  to  him,  —  "you,  I  am 
sure,  she  will  not  send  away.  Is  it  not  so,  Mitsha  ?  Okoya 
may  come  to  see  you,  may  he  not?" 

The  poor  girl  was  terribly  embarrassed  by  this  more  than 
direct  question,  and  Okoya  himself  hung  his  head  in  con 
fusion.  He  pitied  the  maiden  for  having  such  a  mother. 
As  Mitsha  gave  no  answer,  Hannay  repeated,  — 

"  Speak,  sa  uishe ;  will  you  send  this  motatza  away  as  you 
do  the  others?" 


280  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  No,"  breathed  the  poor  creature  thus  sorely  pressed. 
A  thrill  went  through  the  frame  of  Okoya ;  he  looked  up, 
and  his  eyes  beamed  in  the  reflex  of  the  fire.  The  woman 
had  watched  him  with  the  closest  attention,  and  nothing 
escaped  her  notice.  Her  eyes  also  sparkled  with  pleasure, 
for  she  felt  sure  of  him. 

"Well,  why  don't  you  give  the  motatza  some  food?" 
she  asked  her  daughter  again.  "  On  your  account  he  has 
walked  the  long  way  from  the  big  house.  Is  it  not  so, 
Okoya?" 

"  Yes,"  the  boy  replied  innocently. 

Quick  as  thought  Mitsha  turned  around,  and  her  eyes 
beamed  on  him  for  an  instant.  He  did  not  notice  it,  and 
she  forthwith  stepped  up  to  the  hearth.  Even  though  she 
lacked  evening  toilette,  Mitsha  presented  a  handsome  pic 
ture  ;  and  her  friend  became  absorbed  in  contemplation  of 
the  lithe,  graceful  form.  She  lifted  the  pot  from  the  fire, 
placed  the  customary  share  of  its  contents  before  Okoya, 
and  retired  to  a  corner,  whence  she  soon  returned  with  a 
piece  of  dried  yucca-preserve,  regarded  as  a  great  treat  by 
the  Indians,  because  it  has  a  sweet  taste.  As  she  was  plac 
ing  the  dessert  on  the  floor,  the  boy  extended  his  hand,  and 
she  laid  the  sweetmeat  in  it  instead  of  depositing  it  where 
she  had  originally  intended.  Okoya's  hand  closed,  grasp 
ing  hers  and  holding  it  fast.  Mitsha  tried  to  extricate 
fier  fingers,  but  he  clutched  them  in  his.  Stepping  back, 
she  made  a  lunge  at  his  upper  arm  which  caused  him  to  let 
go  her  hand  at  once.  Laughing,  she  then  sat  down  be 
tween  him  and  her  mother.  The  ice  was  broken. 

"  You  are  very  strong,"  Okoya  assured  her,  rubbing  the 
sore  limb. 

"  She  is  strong,  indeed,"  her  mother  confirmed ;  "  she  can 
work  well,  too." 

" Have  you  any  green  paint?  "  the  girl  asked. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  28 1 

*f  No,  but  I  know  a  place  where  it  is  found.  Do  you 
want  any?" 

"  I  would  like  to  have  some." 

"  For  what  do  you  use  the  green  stone  ?  " 

"  Next  year  I  want  to  paint  and  burn  bowls  and  pots." 
Mitsha  had  no  thought  of  the  inferences  that  he  would  draw 
from  her  simple  explanation.  He  interpreted  her  words  as 
very  encouraging  for  him,  not  only  because  the  girl  under 
stood  the  art  of  making  pottery,  but  he  drew  the  conclusion 
that  she  was  thinking  of  furnishing  a  household  of  her  own. 

Hannay  improved  the  opportunity  to  still  further  praise 
her  child.  She  said, — 

"  Mitsha  does  not  only  know  how  to  paint ;  she  can  also 
shape  the  uashtanyi,  the  atash,  and  the  asa."  With  this 
ihe  rose,  went  to  the  wall,  and  began  to  rummage  about  in 
some  recess.  Okoya  had  meanwhile  taken  one  of  the  girl's 
hands  in  his  playing  with  her  dainty  fingers  which  she 
suffered  him  to  do. 

"See  here"  the  woman  cried  and  turned  around.  He 
dropped  the  girl's  hand  and  Hannay  handed  something  to 
him. 

"Mitsha  made  this."    Then  she  sat  down  again. 

The  object  which  Okoya  had  received  from  her  was  a 
little  bowl  of  clay,  round,  and  decorated  on  its  upper  rim 
with  four  truncated  and  graded  pyramids  that  rose  like 
prongs  at  nearly  equal  intervals.  The  vessel  was  neatly 
finished,  smooth,  white,  and  painted  with  black  symbolic 
designs.  There  was  nothing  artistic  in  it  according  to  our 
ideas,  but  it  was  original  and  quaint.  Okoya  gazed  at  the 
bowl  with  genuine  admiration,  placed  it  on  the  floor,  and 
took  it  up  again,  holding  it  so  that  the  light  of  the  fire 
struck  the  inside  also.  He  shook  his  head  in  astonishment 
and  pleasure.  Mitsha  moved  closer  to  him.  With  inno 
cent  pride  she  saw  his  beaming  looks,  and  heard  the  ad- 


282  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

miring  exclamations  with  which  he  pointed  at  the  various 
figures  painted  on  the  white  surface.  Then  she  began  to 
explain  to  him. 

"  Lightning,"  said  she,  indicating  with  her  finger  a  sinuous 
black  line  that  issued  from  one  side  of  the  arches  resting  on 
a  heavy  black  dash. 

"  Cloud,"  he  added,  referring  to  the  arches. 

"  Rain,"  concluded  the  maiden,  pointing  at  several  black 
streaks  which  descended  from  the  figure  of  the  clouds. 
Both  broke  out  in  a  hearty  laugh.  His  merriment  arose 
from  sincere  admiration,  hers  from  equally  sincere  joy  at 
his  approbation  of  her  work.  The  mother  laughed  also; 
it  amused  her  to  see  how  much  Okoya  praised  her  daughter's 
skill.  She  was  overjoyed  at  seeing  the  two  become  more 
familiar. 

Okoya  returned  to  his  former  position,  placing  the  vessel 
on  the  floor  with  tender  care ;  and  Mitsha  resumed  her  sit 
ting  posture,  only  she  sat  much  nearer  the  boy  than  before. 
He  still  examined  the  bowl  with  wonder. 

"Who  taught  you  to  make  such  nice  things?  "  he  asked 
at  last. 

"An  old  woman  from  Mokatsh.  Look,"  and  she  took 
up  the  vessel  again,  pointing  to  its  outside,  where  near  the 
base  she  had  painted  two  horned  serpents  encircling  the 
foot  of  the  bowl. 

"  Tzitz  shruy,"  she  laughed  merrily.  The  youth  laughed, 
so  did  the  women,  all  three  enjoying  themselves  like  big, 
happy  children. 

"  For  whom  did  you  make  this  ?  "  Okoya  now  inquired. 

"  For  my  father,"  Mitsha  proudly  replied. 

"  What  may  Tyope  want  with  it  ?  "  asked  the  boy.  "  f 
have  seen  uashtanyi  like  this,  but  they  stood  before  the 
altar  and  there  was  meal  in  them.  It  was  when  the  Shiuanu 
appeared  on  the  wall.  What  may  sa  nashtin  use  this  fa  *  " 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  283 

"  I  don't  know,"  Mitsha  replied,  and  her  eye  turned  to 
her  mother  timidly  askance  and  with  an  expression  of 
doubt. 

Hannay  saw  here  an  excellent  pretext  to  put  in  a  word  of 
her  own  which  she  had  wished  to  say  long  before. 

"  I  will  tell  you,  sa  uishe  ;  I  will  speak  to  you  as  I  would 
to  my  own  child."  The  artful  flattery  had  its  desired  effect. 
Okoya  became  very  attentive  ;  he  moved  closer  apparently 
to  the  mother,  —  in  reality,  to  the  daughter. 

"  You  know  Tyope  is  a  Koshare,  and  I  am  Koshare  too ; 
and  he  is  very  wise,  a  great  man  among  those  who  create 
delight.  Now  it  may  be  that  you  know  also  what  we  have 
to  do." 

"  You  have  to  make  rain,"  said  the  youth ;  for  such  was 
the  common  belief  among  the  younger  people  about  the 
duties  of  the  society. 

Hannay  and  Mitsha  looked  at  each  other  smiling,  the 
simple-mindedness  of  the  boy  amused  them. 

"You  are  right,"  the  woman  informed  him.  "After  we 
have  prayed,  fasted,  and  done  penance,  it  ought  to  rain,  in 
order  that  yamunyi  may  grow  to  koatshit,  and  koatshit  ripen 
to  yakka."  In  these  words  she  artfully  shrouded  the  true 
objects  of  the  Koshare.  It  enhanced  their  importance  in 
the  eyes  of  the  uninitiated  listener  by  making  him  believe 
that  the  making  of  rain  was  also  an  attribute  of  theirs. 
"  See,  uak,"  she  proceeded,  "  on  this  bowl  you  see  every 
thing  painted  that  produces  rain."  One  after  the  other  sh« 
pointed  out  the  various  figures.  "  Here  you  see  the  tad 
pole,  here  the  frog,  here  the  dragon-fly  and  the  fish ;  they, 
as  they  stand  here,  pray  for  rain ;  for  some  of  them  cry  foi 
it,  when  the  time  comes  others  live  in  the  water,  which  it 
fed  from  the  clouds,  or  they  flit  above  the  pools  in  summer. 
Here  is  the  cloud  and  lightning,  and  "  —  she  turned  the  vessel 
bottom  side  up  —  "  here  are  the  Shiuana  themselves,"  point 


284  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

ing  at  the  two  horned  serpents.  "  These  live  everywhere 
where  Tzitz  is  running  or  standing.  In  this  uashtanyi  we 
keep  meal  in  order  to  do  sacrifice  at  the  time  when  rain 
ought  to  fall.  The  pictures  of  the  Shiuana  call  the  Shiuana 
themselves !  So  you  see  what  the  Koshare  want  with  this 
thing." 

Okoya's  lips  had  slowly  parted  in  growing  astonishment ; 
and  Mitsha,  to  whom  the  explanation  was  not  altogether 
new,  watched  the  expression  of  his  features  with  genuine 
delight. 

"  And  when  you  pray  and  scatter  meal  out  of  this,"  — • 
pointing  to  the  bowl,  —  "  does  the  rain  always  come  ?  " 

"  Always." 

"  Why,  then,  did  it  not  rain  last  summer?  " 

"  That  I  cannot  tell  you,"  said  the  woman.  "  Only  the 
Shiuana  know.  Besides,  there  are  bad  people  who  stop  the 
rain  from  coming." 

"  How  can  they  do  that  ?  "  cried  both  Okoya  and  Mitsha 
in  surprise,  neither  of  them  having  heard  as  yet  of  such  a 
thing. 

"  I  must  not  tell  you  that,"  said  Hannay,  with  a  mysterious 
and  important  air ;  "  you  are  too  young  to  know  it.  Tell  me, 
Okoya,"  —  her  voice  changed  with  the  change  of  tne  subject, 
—  "  does  Shotaye  Koitza  often  come  to  see  your  mother?  " 

This  question  was  highly  imprudent.  But  Hannay  was 
often  imprudent.  Smart  and  sly  in  a  certain  way,  she  was 
equally  thoughtless  in  other  matters.  The  query  so  sudden, 
so  abrupt,  and  so  uncalled  for  must,  she  ought  to  have 
foreseen,  look  extremely  suspicious.  And  yet  Okoya  was 
on  fhe  point  of  answering,  "  She  was  at  our  home  a  few 
days  ago."  In  time,  however,  he  bethought  himself  of  the 
warnings  she  had  received,  and  replied  in  an  unsteady 
tone,  — 

"I  don't  know." 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  28$ 

Hannay  noticed  his  embarrassed  manner,  and  saw  at  a  / 
glance  that  he  was  forewarned.  The  "  no  "  of  the  boy  told 
her  "  yes."  The  discovery,  however,  that  Okoya  was  on  his 
guard  was  rather  disagreeable ;  it  angered  her  so  much  that 
her  first  impulse  was  to  send  him  away.  But  she  soon 
changed  her  mind.  The  youth  was  obedient ;  and  if  now 
he  obeyed  the  counsels  of  his  people,  why  might  he  not 
later  on  become  accustomed  to  submission  to  his  wife's 
people  also?  At  all  events  he  was  good-natured,  and  ac 
cording  to  Hannay's  conceptions,  good-natured  folk  were 
always  silly.  That  smart  but  ill-natured  persons  might  also 
prove  extremely  silly  on  occasions  was  far  from  her  thoughts, 
and  yet  the  very  question  she  had  imprudently  put  to  Okoya  1 
was  an  instance  of  it. 

It  did  not  occur  to  her  that  it  might  yet  be  problematic 
whether  Okoya  would  ever  become  a  traitor  to  his  own  peo 
ple.  She  could  not  conceive  how  anybody  might  be  differ 
ent  from  her  and  from  Tyope,  and  of  course  she  had  no 
doubt  concerning  his  ultimate  pliability.  And  she  relied 
also  upon  the  influence  Mitsha  would  exert  upon  her  future 
husband,  taking  it  for  granted  that  her  child  had  the  same 
low  standards  as  her  parents.  That  child  Hannay  regarded 
merely  as  a  resource,  —  as  valuable  property,  marketable 
and  to  be  disposed  of  to  the  most  suitable  bidder.  In  her 
eyes  Okoya  appeared  as  a  very  desirable  one. 

She  saw  that  the  courtship,  if  thus  it  may  be  called,  was 
advancing  most  favourably ;  and  thought  it  proper,  now  that 
the  ball  was  in  motion,  to  allow  it  to  roll  alone  for  a  short 
time,  —  in  other  words,  to  leave  the  house  under  some  pre 
text,  abandoning  the  young  folk  to  themselves.  After  her 
return  she  intended  to  sound  Okoya  again,  though  in  a 
more  skilful  manner.  So  she  replaced  the  bowl  in  its  niche 
and  went  toward  the  ladder.  Before  ascending  it  she  turned 
and  said.— 


286  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  I  will  be  back  soon." 

The  youth  smiled,  and  she  gave  him  a  knowing,  signifi. 
cant  wink,  climbed  on  the  roof  and  down  to  the  ground, 
and  remained  standing  outside  for  a  while,  until  she  thought 
that  the  young  people  had  forgotten  about  her.  Then  she 
glided  noiselessly  to  the  air-hole  and  peeped  in.  They  still 
sat  by  the  hearth,  examining  together  some  object  the  na 
ture  of  which  she  could  not  discover;  and  Mitsha  was 
explaining  something  to  the  boy.  Evidently  the  girl  was 
showing  him  another  piece  of  her  handiwork.  She  heard 
them  laugh  merrily  and  innocently.  They  were  like  chil 
dren  at  play.  Satisfied  with  the  outlook,  Hannay  crept 
off  to  a  neighbour's  dwelling  where  the  whole  family  was 
gathered  on  the  house-top.  She  took  her  seat  by  the  old 
folk  and  joined  in  the  conversation.  That  conversation 
was  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  merest  gossip,  —  Indian 
gossip,  as  genuine  as  any  that  is  spoken  in  modern  society ; 
with  this  difference  only,  that  the  circle  of  facts  and  ideas 
accessible  to  the  Indian  mind  is  exceedingly  narrow,  and 
that  the  gossip  applies  itself  therefore  to  a  much  smaller 
number  of  persons  and  things.  But  it  is  as  venomous,  the 
backbiting  as  severe  and  merciless  among  Indians  as  among 
us ;  and  there  is  the  same  disposition  to  criticise  everything 
that  does  not  strictly  pertain  to  us  and  to  our  favourites,  the 
same  propensity  to  slander  the  absent  and  to  be  of  the 
same  opinion  as  those  present  so  long  as  they  are  within 
hearing  distance. 

Gossip  has  a  magic  power.  It  fascinates  more  than  any 
other  kind  of  conversation.  It  fascinated  Hannay,  and 
time  rolled  on  without  her  noticing  it.  The  night  was  so 
beautiful,  so  still,  so  placid,  and  it  felt  so  comfortable  out 
side  on  this  terrace,  whereon  the  moon  shone  so  brightly, 
that  Hannay  sat  and  sat,  listened  and  talked,  until  she  had 
forgotten  the  young  folk  at  home. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  287 

Suddenly  a  dark  shadow  covered  the  roof ;  the  change  was 
aO  abrupt  that  everybody  looked  around.  What  a  moment 
ago  was  plunged  in  the  silvery  bath  of  the  moon's  rays  was 
now  wrapped  in  transparent  darkness.  But  the  valley  be 
low  and  the  slope  in  front  were  as  softly  radiant  as  before. 
The  moon  had  disappeared  behind  one  of  the  cliffs,  and  the 
shadow  of  the  rocks  was  now  cast  over  the  houses  of  the 
Eagle.  It  reminded  the  talkers  that  it  was  late,  and  it  also 
reminded  Hannay  of  her  visitor.  She  clambered  hurriedly 
off  and  hastened  home.  Again  she  looked  through  the  cir 
cular  vent.  It  was  dark  inside,  and  still.  After  listening 
a  while  she  distinguished  regular  breathings.  It  was  easy  to 
recognize  them  as  those  of  Mitsha,  who  was  soundly,  peace 
fully  asleep.  Hannay,  as  soon  as  she  reached  the  floor  of 
the  apartment,  called  out,  — 

"  Sa  uishe  !  "  No  reply. 

"  Sa  uishe  !  "  No  answer. 

She  groped  about  in  the  dark  until  her  hands  touched  the 
sleeping  form.  She  pulled  the  girl's  dress  and  shook  her  by 
the  arm  until  she  sighed  and  moved,  and  then  asked,  — 

"  Sa  uishe,  has  your  father  come  ?  " 

"  No,"  murmured  the  still  dreaming  child 

"Where  isOkoya?" 

"  He  has  left." 

"  Will  he  come  again  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes, "  breathed  Mitsha  softly ;  then  she  turned  over, 
sighed,  and  spoke  no  more. 

Hannay  was  happy.  The  boy  would  return  !  That  was 
all  she  cared  for.  She  really  liked  him,  for  he  was  so  can 
did,  so  good,  and  so  simple-minded.  With  such  a  son- 
in-law  much  was  possible,  she  thought.  Okoya  could 
certainly  be  moulded  to  become  a  very  useful  tool  to  her 
as  well  as  to  Tyope.  The  woman  felt  elated  over  the  re- 
jults  of  the  evening ;  she  felt  sure  that  notwithstanding  one 


288  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

egregious  mistake,  of  which  of  course  she  would  be  careful 
not  to  speak,  her  husband  would  be  pleased  with  her  man 
agement  of  affairs.  It  was  long  after  midnight  when  that 
husband  returned  to  the  roof  of  his  wife,  and  Hannay  was 
already  fast  asleep. 

Okoya  had  gone  long  before  Hannay  thought  of  return 
ing.  He  went  home  happy,  and  satisfied  that  Mitsha 
henceforth  belonged  to  him.  And  yet  after  all  there  was  a 
cloud  on  his  mind,  —  not  a  very  threatening  one,  yet  a 
cloud  such  as  accompanies  us  everywhere,  marring  cur 
perfect  happiness  whenever  we  fancy  we  have  attained  it. 
Mitsha  had  said  to  him,  while  they  were  alone, — 

"  If  you  were  only  Koshare,  the  sanaya  would  give  me  to 
you." 

Okoya  thereupon  imagined  that  without  Hannay's  con 
sent  he  could  never  obtain  the  maiden.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  idea  of  joining  the  Delight  Makers  did  not  at  all 
suit  him.  He  feared  in  that  case  the  opposition  of  his 
mother.  After  he  had  returned  to  the  estufa  and  lain  down 
among  the  other  boys,  who  were  mostly  asleep,  he  revolved 
the  matter  in  his  mind  for  a  long  time  without  arriving  at 
any  conclusion  whatever.  Had  he  been  less  sincere  and 
less  attached  to  his  mother,  such  scruples  would  hardly  have 
troubled  him;  had  he  owned  more  experience  he  would 
have  known  that  his  apprehensions  were  groundless,  anO 
that  Hannay  could  not,  if  she  wished,  prevent  him  frorn 
becoming  Mitsha's  husband. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

WHEN,  at  the  close  of  the  eventful  meeting  of  the  council  at 
which  the  accusation  against  Shotaye  and  Say  Koitza  had 
fallen  like  a  thunderbolt  upon  the  minds  of  all  present,  the 
principal  shamans  warned  the  members  of  that  council  to 
keep  strict  silence  and  to  fast  or  pray,  that  reminder  was 
not  to  be  understood  as  imposing  on  them  the  obligation  of 
rigid  penitence.  Secrecy  alone  was  obligatory;  it  remained 
optional  with  each  how  far  he  would  carry  his  contrition. 
The  three  caciques,  however,  and  the  chief  medicine-men 
had  to  retire  and  begin  rigorous  penitential  ceremonies. 
Therefore  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  had  said  that  he  was  going 
to  speak  to  the  leading  penitents  at  once. 

Some  of  the  fathers  of  the  tribe,  however,  took  the  matter 
so  much  to  heart  that  they  obeyed  the  injunction  of  the 
great  medicine-men  literally,  and  took  to  sackcloth  and 
ashes  as  soon  as  they  reached  home.  Their  motives  were 
extremely  laudable,  but  their  action  was  by  no  means  wise. 
They  lost  sight  of  what  the  shaman  had  strongly  insisted 
upon;  namely,  that  none  of  them  should,  by  displaying 
particular  sadness  or  by  dropping  mysterious  hints,  attract 
attention,  and  thus  lead  the  people  to  surmise  or  suspect 
something  of  grave  import.  The  shaman  knew  the  human 
heart  well,  at  least  the  hearts  of  his  tribe ;  but  with  all  his 
well-intended  shrewdness  he  overlooked  the  fact  that  the 
very  recommendations  he  gave  had  fallen  on  loo  fertile 
ground,  and  consequently  worked  more  harm  than  good 

19 


290  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS, 

For  the  majority  of  the  councilmen  were  so  horror-stricken 
by  the  disclosures  of  Tyope  and  of  the  Koshare  Naua,  that 
they  went  to  do  penance  with  a  zeal  that  could  not  fail 
to  draw  the  attention  of  everybody  around  them.  Thus 
Kauaitshe,  the  delegate  of  the  Water  clan,  and  Tyame,  he 
of  the  Eagles,  and  several  others  considered  it  their  duty  to 
fast.  Not  a  word  concerning  the  meeting  passed  their  lips ; 
but  when  on  the  following  morning  each  one  of  them  retired 
to  a  secluded  chamber  or  sat  down  in  a  corner  of  his  room, 
his  arms  folded  around  his  knees,  speechless,  motionless] 
when  he  refused  to  partake  of  the  food  which  his  wife  01 
daughter  presented  to  him,  —  when  he  persisted  in  this  at 
titude  quietly  and  solemnly,  it  could  not  fail  to  attract  atten- 
tion.  The  father,  brother,  or  husband  fasted  !  Whenevef 
the  Indian  does  penance  it  is  because  he  has  something 
heavy  on  his  mind.  In  the  present  instance,  as  it  hap> 
pened  immediately  after  the  council,  it  necessarily  led  to 
the  inference  that  at  that  council  momentous  questions  must 
have  been  discussed,  and  also  that  these  questions  had  not 
been  solved.  Otherwise,  why  should  the  councilmen  fast? 

Penitence,  with  the  Indian,  is  akin  to  sacrifice  ;  the  body 
is  tormented  because  the  soul  is  beyond  human  reach. 
The  fasting  is  done  in  order  to  render  the  body  more 
accessible  to  the  influence  of  the  mind.  Often,  too,  one 
fasts  in  order  to  weaken  the  body,  in  order  to  free  the  soul 
from  its  thralls  and  bring  it  into  a  closer  relation  with  the 
powers  regarded  as  supernatural.  At  all  events,  fasting  and 
purifications  were  a  sure  sign  that  serious  affairs  were  in 
process  of  development,  and  such  proceedings  on  the  part 
of  some  of  the  nashtio  could  not  fail  to  produce  results  the 
opposite  of  what  the  shaman  had  intended. 

It  would  have  been  different  had  the  yaya  alone  retired 
for  penitential  performances;  nobody  would  have  been 
struck  by  that,  for  everybody  was  accustomed  to  see  then? 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  29 1 

at  work,  as  such  voluntary  sacrifice  on  their  part  is  usually 
called ;  it  was  their  business.  But  since  the  nashtio  also,  at 
least  in  part,  performed  similar  acts,  it  could  not  help  pro 
ducing,  slowly  and  gradually  but  surely,  a  tremendous  amount 
of  gossip  and  a  corresponding  number  of  speculations  of  a 
rather  gloomy  nature. 

That  gossip  was  started  in  the  cave-dwellings  of  Tzina 
hanutsh.  The  stout  representative  of  the  Water  clan  had 
married  into  that  cluster,  and  lived  consequently  among 
them  with  his  wife.  He  returned  home  wildly  excited  ;  he 
did  not  go  to  rest  at  all ;  and  when  his  family  awoke  they  saw 
him  sitting  in  a  corner.  As  soon  as  he  declined  to  eat,  re 
maining  there  in  morose  silence,  they  all  knew  that  he  was 
grieving  and  chastising  himself.  Everybody  thought,  "The 
nashtio  of  Tzitz  since  his  return  from  the  council  is  doing 
penance.  What  can  have  happened  last  night!" 

Owing  to  the  custom  which  compels  a  man  to  marry 
outside  of  his  own  clan,  the  abodes  of  the  women  of  each 
clan  were  frequented  by  their  husbands.  They  of  course  be 
longed  to  different  clans.  Their  natural  confidants  were  not 
their  wives,  still  less  their  children,  but  their  clan-brothers 
and  clan-sisters.  During  the  day  that  followed  the  council, 
a  man  whose  wife  was  from  the  Turkey  people,  but  who 
himself  belonged  to  Shyuamo,  went  down  to  the  caves 
of  the  latter.  There  he  was  received  with  the  remark, — 

"The  nashtio  of  the  Eagles,  Tyame,  who  lives  with  us,  is 
fasting." 

He  replied  in  surprise,  "And  Kauaitshe  is  also  doing 
penance." 

A  third,  whose  wife  belonged  to  the  Bear  clan,  was  within 
hearing;  and  he  quickly  added,  "The  delegate  from  Hiit- 
shanyi  dwells  with  Kohaio;  he,  too,  is  fasting!"  It  was 
strange !  People  said  nothing,  but  they  shook  their  heads 
and  separated. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Similar  things  occurred  in  the  houses  of  the  Tanyi.  Thert 
the  representative  of  the  Bear  clan  was  in  retirement.  In  the 
big  house  news  circulated  faster  than  anywhere  else  on  thf 
Tyuonyi,  and  in  a  very  short  time  it  became  known  that  nol 
only  the  nashtio  from  Kohaio,  but  especially  that  the  Hish' 
tanyi  Chayan  and  the  Cuirana  Naua  were  secluding  them' 
selves.  Step  by  step  the  news  got  abroad  and  went  from 
clan  to  clan,  while  the  people  compared  notes  without  ex 
pressing  opinions.  At  sunset  it  was  known  all  over  the 
Rito  that  since  the  council  at  least  six  of  the  clan  delegates 
were  fasting,  besides  the  three  shamans.  When  at  last 
news  came  that  a  woman  had  gone  to  see  the  wife  of  the 
chief  penitent,  and  had  heard  from  her  that  her  husband 
was  working,  things  began  to  look  not  only  strange  but 
portentous. 

In  an  Indian  village,  gossip  about  public  affairs  comes  to 
a  stand-still  as  soon  as  the  outlook  seems  very  grave.  A  sul 
len  quiet  sets  in ;  the  hanutsh  recede  from  each  other,  and 
only  such  as  are  very  intimate  venture  to  interchange  opin 
ions,  and  even  they  only  with  the  utmost  caution.  For  any 
event  that  concerns  the  welfare  of  the  community  is,  in  the 
mind  of  the  aborigine,  intimately  connected  with  the  doings 
of  Those  Above.  And  if  the  Shiuana  were  to  hear  an  ir 
relevant  or  unpleasant  utterance  on  the  part  of  their  chil 
dren,  things  might  go  wrong.  There  is,  beside,  the  barrier 
between  clan  and  clan,  —  the  mistrust  which  one  connection 
feels  always  more  or  less  strongly  toward  the  others.  In 
stead  of  the  excitement  and  display  of  passion  that  too  often 
accompany  the  preliminaries  of  great  events  in  civilized 
communities,  and  which  too  often  also  unduly  precipitate 
them,  among  the  Indians  there  is  reticence.  They  do 
not  run  to  headquarters  for  information;  they  make  no 
effort  at  interviewing  the  officers ;  they  simply  and  sullenly 
wait. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  -93 

This  patient  waiting,  however,  is  only  on  the  surface.  In 
strictly  intimate  circles  apprehensions  are  sometimes  uttered 
and  opinions  exchanged.  But  this  is  done  in  the  clan,  and 
rarely  in  the  family. 

In  the  present  case  it  was  not  reticence  alone  that  pre 
vailed.  The  conviction  that  great  things  might  be  brought 
to  light  soon,  caused  uneasiness  rather  than  anything  else. 
Apprehensions  were  increased  by  the  fact  that  only  a  part  of 
the  dignitaries  of  the  tribe  were  doing  penance.  The  Ko- 
share  Naua  was  not  fasting,  neither  was  Topanashka ;  and 
Tyope  went  about  with  the  utmost  unconcern.  Members 
of  the  clans  whose  delegates  kept  secluded  became  suspi 
cious  of  the  fact  that  their  nashtio  appealed  more  particu 
larly  to  the  higher  powers,  and  hence  that  his  constituents  — 
such  was  their  conclusion  —  were  in  danger  of  something  as 
yet  concealed  from  the  people.  Suspicion  led  to  envy,  and 
finally  to  wrath  against  such  as  appeared  to  be  free  from  the 
necessity  of  intercession.  Tyope  had  thrown  a  firebrand 
among  he  tribe,  and  the  fire  was  smouldering  yet.  But  it 
was  merely  a  question  of  time  for  the  flames  to  burst  forth- 
It  was  even  easy  to  guess  when  it  must  occur,  for  no  such 
fast  can  last  longer  than  four  days.  At  their  expiration,  if 
not  before,  all  doubts  must  be  dispelled.  With  this  abso 
lute  certainty  the  people  rested,  not  content,  but  submitting 
to  the  inevitable. 

Only  two  men  among  the  Queres  knew  the  whole  truth  of 
the  matter,  and  these  were  Tyope  and  the  old  Koshare  Naua. 
They  watched  with  apparent  calmness,  but  with  the  greatest 
attention,  the  approach  of  the  storm  which  they  had  pre 
pared.  Everything  went  on  to  their  hearts'  content.  They 
did  not  need  to  do  penance,  for  their  sinister  plans  were 
advancing  satisfactorily. 

And  a  third  at  the  Rito,  although  unknown  to  them,  also 
to  see  the  truth  gradually  with  a  distinctness  fchat 


294  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

vas  fearful,  that  was  crushing  to  him.  That  man  was  the 
head  war-chief,  Topanashka  Tihua.  A  series  of  logical  de 
ductions  brought  him  to  ravel  step  by  step  the  game  that 
was  being  played.  He  saw  now  why  Tzitz  hanutsh  had  been 
made  to  bear  the  first  assault.  It  was  on  account  of  Sho- 
taye.  But  as  the  demand  was  put,  it  involved  ultimately 
the  question  of  residence,  and  consequently  an  expulsion  of 
the  Water  people.  This  could  never  have  been  merely  on 
account  of  one  woman  and  in  order  to  get  rid  of  her,  since  it 
was  so  easy  to  put  Shotaye  out  of  the  way  by  the  mere  accu 
sation  of  witchcraft.  That  accusation  itself  appeared  to  the 
old  man  to  be  a  mere  pretext  and  nothing  else.  To  expel 
the  small  Water  clan  alone  was  not  their  object  either. 
His  daughter,  the  child  of  Tanyi,  was  also  implicated,  and 
with  this  thought  came  a  flash  of  light.  Not  one  clan  alone, 
but  several,  were  to  be  removed,  and  as  he  now  saw  plainly, 
mostly  the  clans  occupying  houses  which  were  not  exposed 
to  the  dangers  which  threatened  the  cave-dwellers  from  the 
L  crumbling  rock.  Tzitz  had  only  served  as  an  entering-wedge 
for  their  design  that  the  house-dwellers  should  make  room 
for  the  others.  The  more  Topanashka  thought  over  it,  the 
more  he  felt  convinced  that  he  was  right.  And  the  stronger 
his  convictions  the  more  he  saw  that  the  plans  of  the  two 
fiends,  Tyope  and  the  Naua,  were  likely  to  succeed.  They 
were  bad  men,  they  were  dangerous  men ;  but  they  certainly 
had  a  pair  of  very  subtle  minds. 

Was  it  possible   to   defeat   their   object?     Other   men, 

differently  constituted  from  Topanashka,  might  have  come 

to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  best  to  leave  the  Rito  with 

their  people  at  once,  without  any  further  wrangling,  and 

rmake  room  peaceably.      To  this  he  could  never  consent. 

None  of  his  relatives  or  their  friends  should  be  sacrificed 

to   tne   intrigues  of  the  Turquoise  people.     Rather  than 

/  yield  he  was  firmly  determined  that  the  Turquoise  people 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  29$ 

themselves  should  go.  But  only  after  they  had  done  their 
worst.  It  was  true,  as  Tyope  had  said,  that  a  division  of 
the  tribe  entailed  a  dangerous  weakening  of  both  fragments ; 
but  then  if  it  must  be,  what  else  could  be  done  ?  Still  he  was 
in  hopes  that  the  Shiuana  would  not  consent  to  a  separa 
tion,  and  in  his  firm  belief  in  the  goodness  of  Those  Above 
he  resolved,  when  the  time  came,  to  do  his  utmost  for  the 
preservation  of  peace  and  unity.  But  it  was  a  crushing 
weight  to  him.  Not  a  soul  had  he  with  whom  to  commu 
nicate,  for  his  lips  were  sealed ;  not  one  whom  he  might 
enlighten  and  prepare  for  the  hour  of  the  crisis.  And  he 
felt  unconsciously  that  he  was  the  pillar  on  which  rested 
the  safety  of  his  people,  —  he  and  the  Shiuana  !  The  feeling 
was  no  source  of  pride ;  it  was  a  terrible  load,  which  he 
longed  in  vain  to  share  with  some  one  else.  Topanashka  did 
not  attempt  to  do  penance  externally ;  he  was  too  shrewd ' 
for  that ;  but  he  prayed  as  much  as  any  one,  —  prayed  for 
light  from  above,  for  the  immense  courage  to  keep  silent, 
to  hope,  and  to  wait. 

The  news  that  Kauaitshe,  the  delegate  from  Tzitz  hanutsh, 
was  fasting  had  reached  the  cave- dwellings  of  his  cluster 
late  in  the  afternoon.  Zashue  had  carried  it  thither,  com 
municating  the  intelligence  secretly  to  his  mother  and 
sister.  They  were  speaking  of  it,  the  old  woman  with 
apprehensions,  and  Zashue  in  his  usual  frivolous  manner, 
when  Hayoue  entered. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  he,  "  that  the  nashtio  of  Tyame  is 
doing  penance?" 

"  So  does  ours,"  remarked  Zashue,  growing  serious.  He 
began  to  see  matters  in  a  different  light. 

"What  may  this  all  be  about?"  wondered  the  younge; 
brother. 

The  elder  brother  shrugged  his  shoulders,  sighed,  and 
rubbed  his  eyes  ;  and  all  four  kept  silent. 


296  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"Is  it  perhaps  from  the  uuityam?"  asked  Hayoue;  and 
his  mother  exclaimed, — 

"Surely  it  is." 

"Then  something  must  have  occurred,"  continued  Ha 
youe;  and  with  a  side-glance  at  his  brother,  "I  wonder  if 
Tyope  is  fasting  also?" 

Zashue  denied  it  positively,  and  added,  "The  Naua  is  out 
of  doors." 

"In  that  case  it  is  our  people  again  who  have  to  suffer." 
His  passion  was  aroused;  he  cried,  rather  than  spoke 
"The  Shyuamo  never  suffer  anything.  Who  knows  but 
the  shuatyam,  Tyope,  and  the  old  one  have  again  done 
something  to  harm  us !"  Ere  Zashue  could  reply  to  this 
sally  the  young  man  had  left  the  cave. 

When  Hayoue  stood  outside  he  noticed  Shotaye  sitting 
on  her  doorstep. 

"Guatzena,  samam,"  he  called  over  to  her. 

"Raua  A,"  the  woman  answered,  extending  her  hand 
toward  him  as  if  she  wished  to  give  him  something. 

He  went  over  to  her,  took  the  object,  and  looked  at  it. 
It  was  the  rattle  of  a  snake. 

"Where  did  you  get  this?"  he  asked. 

"I  found  it  above,  where  a  rattlesnake  had  been  eaten. 
Do  you  want  it?" 

He  shook  the  rattle  and  inquired,  — 

"  Will  you  give  it  to  me?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  It  is  well ;  and  now  I  will  tell  you  something  that  you 
don't  know  yet.  Our  father,  Kauaitshe,  is  fasting." 

«  He  is  right,"  Shotaye  remarked ;  "  it  will  make  him 
leaner." 

Both  laughed,  but  Hayoue  said  with  greater  earnestness, 

"  Tyame  is  doing  penance  also. 

"  Then  he  is  with  his  woman  from  Shyuamo,"  flippantly 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  297 

observed  Shotaye ;  "  it  will  make  Turquoises  cheaper." 
She  turned  away  with  an  indifferent  air.  Her  careless 
manner  struck  the  young  man,  and  when  he  saw  that  she 
would  not  speak,  but  only  gazed  at  the  sky,  he  went  off 
with  the  present  he  had  received.  He  felt  differently ;  he 
took  the  matter  very  seriously.  He  directed  his  steps 
toward  the  tall  building  where  it  might  be  possible  to 
ascertain  something  else.  Hayoue  was  afraid  of  the  Tur 
quoise  people  and  their  designs. 

Shotaye  was  far  from  indifferent  to  the  piece  of  news 
which  Hayoue  had  brought  to  her.  But  neither  was  she 
surprised.  She  expected  as  much.  It  was  therefore  easy 
for  her  to  appear  perfectly  calm  and  unconcerned.  She 
was  fully  convinced  that  her  case  had  been  the  subject  of 
last  night's  discussion  in  the  council,  but  the  fact  that 
the  delegates  were  doing  penance  proved  that  the  matter 
was  still  pending,  and  that  no  conclusion  had  been  reached. 
There  was  consequently  time  before  her  still,  and  the 
reprieve  amounted  to  about  four  days.  She  had  time  to 
reflect  and  to  prepare  her  course  of  action.  The  sooner 
she  was  alone  and  left  to  her  own  musings  the  better,  and 
that  was  why  she  turned  away  so  abruptly  from  the  young 
man.  Hayoue  drew  from  her  manner  the  inference  that 
the  woman  busied  herself  with  thoughts  entirely  foreign  to 
his  own,  and  did  not  wish  to  be  disturbed.  But  as  soon  as 
he  turned  to  go  she  watched  him  through  one  corner  of  her 
eye.  When  he  was  far  enough  away,  she  rose,  and  slowly 
crept  back  into  her  dwelling. 

We  need  not  follow  the  train  of  thought  that  occupied 
Shotaye. 

It  was  in  the  main  the  same  that  had  filled  her  mind 
during  the  last  week.  One  thing  was  certain,  she  was  not 
silly  enough  to  fast.  She  would  not  commit  such  a  blunder. 
Neither  would  she  call  on  Say  Koitza.  She  regarded  her 


298  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

companion  in  danger  as  sufficiently  advised,  and  felt  sure 
that  the  wife  of  Zashue  was  prepared  for  any  event.  Why 
then  disturb  her?  It  might  only  lead  her  into  committing 
some  disastrous  blunder.  Without  Shotaye's  direct  knowl 
edge  Say  was  sure  to  do  nothing  at  all,  and  that  was  the 
best  for  both.  For  the  present,  all  that  could  be  done  was 
to  remain  absolutely  quiet  and  to  wait. 

Hayoue,  on  the  other  hand,  was  not  so  philosophical.  As 
he  strolled  down  the  valley,  his  mind  was  deeply  agitated. 
It  seemed  clear  to  him  that  a  grave  question  had  been  pro 
pounded  at  the  council,  and  it  could  only  have  originated 
through  some  deviltry  on  the  part  of  the  evil  spirits  of  the 
Turquoise  clan,  Tyope  and  the  old  Naua.  This  made  him 
very  angry,  and  he  vowed  within  himself  that  when  the  time 
came  he  would  take  a  very  active  part  in  the  proceedings. 

He  would  rather  have  commenced  the  fray  at  once  by 
slaughtering  Tyope  and  his  accomplice ;  but  then,  it  was  not 
altogether  the  thing  to  do.  Neither  would  it  do  to  go 
about  and  inquire  at  random.  Nothing  was  left  to  him 
but  to  have  patience  and  wait. 

Waiting,  however,  did  not  interfere  with  his  disposition  to 
talk.  With  a  nature  as  outspoken  as  that  of  Hayoue,  it 
was  impossible  to  wait  without  saying  something  to  some 
body  about  it.  But  to  whom?  At  home  he  could  not 
speak,  for  there  was  Zashue,  and  he  was  never  impartial 
when  any  one  of  the  Koshare  was  concerned.  Okoya  would 
be  far  preferable,  and  he  determined  upon  looking  him 
up.  His  nephew  was  not  in  the  big  house,  and  Hayoue  went 
out  to  the  corn-patches.  The  Indian  goes  to  his  field  fre 
quently,  not  in  order  to  work,  but  simply  to  lounge,  to  seek 
company,  or  to  watch  the  growing  crops.  Okoya  was  in 
his  father's  plot,  sitting  comfortably  among  the  corn ;  but  it 
was  not  the  plantation  that  occupied  his  thoughts,  they  were 
with  Mitsha ;  and  he  pondered  ever  what  she  had  told  him 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  299 

the  night  before,  and  how  he  might  succeed  in  making  her 
his  beyond  cavil.  Looking  up  accidentally  he  discerned 
the  form  of  his  uncle  coming  toward  him,  and  his  face 
brightened.  He  motioned  Hayoue  to  come,  and  this  time 
Hayoue  was  eager  to  meet  Okoya. 

The  uncle  wore  a  gloomy  face,  and  the  nephew  noticed 
it  at  once.  But  he  thought  that  if  his  friend  intended  to 
confide  in  him  he  would  do  so  spontaneously.  He  had 
not  long  to  wait.  Hayoue  sat  down  alongside  of  him  and 
began,  — 

"  Do  you  know  where  sa  umo  is,  —  the  maseua?  " 

"  He  is  at  home,  I  think.  At  least  he  was  there  when  I 
went  away." 

"  Is  he  doing  penance?  " 

Okoya  stared  at  Hayoue  in  astonishment. 

"  No,  he  ate  with  us.     Why  should  he  fast?  " 

"  Do  you  know,"  Hayoue  continued  to  inquire, "  that  the 
nashtio  of  Tzitz  and  the  nashtio  of  Tyame  are  fasting?  " 

"  I  did  not,  but  I  know  that  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  is  at 
work." 

Hayoue  extended  his  neck  and  pricked  up  his  ears. 
"What,"  said  he,  "the  yaya  also?" 

"  Indeed,  the  Cuirana  Naua  also.  Did  not  you  know  it? 
You  are  a  nice  Cuirana." 

The  uncle  shook  his  head. 

"  That  is  bad,  very  bad  indeed,"  muttered  he.  Okoya 
was  perplexed.  At  last  his  curiosity  overcame  all  diffidence 
and  he  asked,  — 

"What  is  it,  satyumishe  nashtio?  Do  you  know  of 
anything  evil  ?  " 

Hayoue  looked  at  him  and  said,  — 

"  Okoya,  you  and  I  are  alike.  When  your  heart  is  heavy 
you  come  to  me  and  say,  '  My  heart  is  sad ;  help  me  to 
make  it  light  again ; '  and  when  I  feel  sorrow  I  go  to  you 


300  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

and  tell  you  of  it.  When  you  came  to  me  up  there  "  — 
he  pointed  to  the  west  —  "  it  was  dark  in  your  heart.  To 
day  it  is  night  in  mine." 

The  speech  both  astonished  and  pleased  the  boy.  He 
felt  pride  in  the  elder's  confidence,  but  was  too  modest  to 
express  it.  So  he  merely  replied,  — 

"  Nashtio,  I  am  very  young,  and  you  are  much  wiser  than 
I.  How  can  I  speak  so  that  your  heart  may  be  relieved? 
You  know  how  I  must  speak,  and  when  you  tell  me  I  will 
try  and  do  it." 

He  gazed  into  Hayoue's  features  with  a  timid,  doubting 
look ;  he  could  hardly  conceive  that  his  uncle  really  needed 
advice  from  him. 

It  was  Hayoue's  turn  to  sigh  to-day.    Slowly  he  said,  — 

"  Last  night  the  uuityam  was  together,  and  to-day  the 
yaya  and  the  nashtio  are  fasting." 

Okoya  innocently  asked,  — 

"Why  do  they  fast?" 

'*  That  is  just  what  I  want  to  know,"  Hayoue  impatiently 
exclaimed,  "  but  surely  it  bodes  nothing  good." 

"  Why  should  the  wise  men  want  something  that  is  evil  ?  " 
said  the  other,  in  surprise. 

"  You  are  young,  motatza,  you  are  like  a  child,  else  you 
would  not  ask  such  a  question.  The  wise  men  are  doing 
penance,  not  because  they  intend  harm,  but  in  order  to 
prevent  the  people  from  being  harmed.  Do  you  under 
stand  me  now?  " 

It  began  to  dawn  on  Okoya's  mind ;  still  he  had  not  fully 
grasped  his  uncle's  meaning. 

"  Who  is  going  to  do  evil  things  to  us  ?  Are  there 
Moshome  about?" 

Hayoue  was  struck  by  the  remark.  He  had  not  thought 
of  this  possibility.  It  might  be  that  the  older  men  had 
learned  something  of  the  approach  or  presence  of  Navajos, 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  30 1 

A  few  moments  of  reflection,  however,  convinced  him  of 
the  utter  improbability  of  the  suggestion.  If  there  were 
danger  of  this  the  warriors,  to  whom  he  belonged,  —  that 
is,  the  special  group  of  war  magicians,  —  would  have  been 
the  first  to  be  informed  of  it;  and  they  would  all  be 
now  in  the  estufa  preparing  themselves  for  duty,  and  the 
maseua  first  of  all.  Instead  of  it  the  old  man  was  up  and 
about  as  usual.  No,  it  could  not  be ;  and  he  accordingly 
said,  — 

"  It  may  be  that  some  sneaking  wolf  is  lurking  about, 
but  I  do  not  believe  it.  See  here,  satyumishe,  I  belong  to 
those  who  know  of  war,  and  I  should  certainly  have  heard 
if  there  were  any  signs  of  the  Dinne.  And  our  father  the 
maseua  would  not  have  remained  about  the  big  house.  No, 
umo,  it  is  not  on  account  of  the  Moshome  that  the  yaya 
and  nashtio  take  no  food." 

"  But  if  there  are  no  Moshome  about,  whence  could  there 
come  danger  to  us? " 

"  From  there ; "  and  Hayoue  pointed  to  distant  cliffs 
vvhere  some  of  the  cave- dwellings  of  Shyuamo  were  visible 
it  the  diminutive  openings  in  the  rock. 

"Why  from  there?" 

"From  Shyuamo  hanutsh." 

"What  can  Shyuamo  want  to  do  harm  for?  " 

Hayoue  grew  really  impatient. 

"  You  think  of  nothing  else  but  your  girl,"  he  grumbled, 
"  Have  you  forgotten  already  what  I  told  you  of  Tyope  and 
of  that  old  sand-viper,  the  Naua?  " 

It  thundered  in  the  distance ;  a  shower  was  falling  south 
of  the  Rito,  and  its  thunder  sounded  like  low,  subterranean 
mutterings.  Hayoue  called  out,  — 

"  Do  you  hear  the  Shiuana  ?  They  remind  you  of  what 
I  said." 

The  parts  were    reversed.     It  was  now  the  uncle  who 


302  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

reminded  the  nephew  of  the  voices  from  the  higher  world 
Okoya  hung  his  head. 

"  Listen  to  me,"  continued  Hayoue ;  "  I  know  that  you 
do  not  like  it  that  I  speak  against  Tyope,  but  I  am  right 
nevertheless.  He  is  a  bad  man  and  a  base  man  ;  he  only 
looks  at  what  he  desires  and  to  the  welfare  of  his  hanutsh. 
Toward  others  he  is  ill-disposed ;  and  his  companion  is 
worse  yet,  the  old  fiend." 

"Yes,  but  what  can  they  gain  by  doing  evil  to  others?" 
Okoya  asked. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  How  can  I  know  it,  then  ?  I  am  much  younger,  much 
less  wise  than  you." 

Hayoue  saw  the  candour  of  the  boy  and  it  troubled  him. 
it  was  true ;  Okoya  was  too  young  yet,  too  inexperienced  ; 
tie  could  not  fully  understand  what  Hayoue  was  suspecting, 
and  could  not  give  him  any  light  or  advice.  It  was  use 
less  to  press  him  any  further.  But  one  thing  Hayoue  had 
achieved,  at  all  events.  He  had  enjoyed  an  opportunity  to 
vent  his  feelings  in  full  confidence,  and  that  alone  afforded 
him  some  relief.  After  musing  a  while  he  spoke  again,  — 

"  Let  it  be  what  it  may,  I  tell  you  this  much,  brother :  be 
careful,  and  now  especially.  Speak  to  nobody  of  what  I 
have  told  you ;  and  should  you  go  to  see  Mitsha,  keep  your 
ears  open  and  your  mouth  shut.  I  cannot  find  anybody  to 
speak  to  except  you  and  the  maseua,  but  our  father  I  dare 
not  ask,  for  when  the  others  are  fasting  Topanashka's  lips 
are  closed  until  the  time  comes  to  act.  Meanwhile,  brother, 
we  must  wait.  I  am  going  back  to  the  katityam,  for  it  is 
not  good  to  run  about  and  pry.  Nobody  knows  anything 
but  the  yaya  and  the  nashtio,  and  these  do  not  speak  to  us." 
With  these  words  he  rose  and  left  Okoya  alone. 

Much  as  the  latter  was  attached  to  his  father's  brother, 
he  was  still  dad  to  see  him  eo.  The  sinister  hints  which 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  303 

Hayoue  had  dropped  were  as  good  as  incomprehensible  to 
him.  That  the  Zaashtesh  could  be  damaged  through  some 
of  its  own  people  he  could  not  conceive ;  still  he  believed  it, 
for  Hayoue  had  said  so  and  it  must  be  true.  But  it  was 
equally  true  that  Okoya's  thoughts  were  with  his  own  affairs 
exclusively,  and  his  uncle's  talk  affected  him  mainly  on  that 
score.  It  increased  his  already  uneasy  feelings.  The  fear 
that  Mitsha  would  be  given  him  only  on  condition  that 
he  became  Koshare  was  now  stronger  than  ever,  and  his 
prospects  appeared  still  further  complicated  in  the  light  of 
Hayoue's  disclosures.  Nevertheless,  nothing  was  absolutely 
certain  so  far ;  and  he  could  not  precipitate  matters.  In  his 
case,  too,  there  was  nothing  left  but  to  wait 

The  shower,  which  was  sending  floods  of  moisture  into  the 
valleys  farther  south,  only  grazed  the  Rito,  sending  a  short 
and  light  rain  upon  its  growing  crops.  It  surprised  Zashue 
upon  his  return  to  the  big  house,  and  drove  him  to  shelter 
at  his  own,  that  is,  his  wife's  home.  He  did  not  really  care 
to  go  there,  for  since  the  time  when  he  and  Tyope  had 
searched  the  rooms,  Zashue  had  kept  rather  away  from  his 
spouse. 

He  did  not  suspect  her  any  longer  j  but  the  very  convic 
tion  on  his  part  that  she  was  innocent,  and  that  con 
sequently  he  had  wronged  her,  kept  him  away  from  her 
presence.  The  weaker  a  man  is,  the  less  he  likes  to  ac 
knowledge  guilt.  He  feels  ashamed  of  himself,  but  will 
not  acknowledge  it.  The  Indian  in  this  respect  is  as  tough 
as  other  people,  if  not  tougher.  To  beg  pardon  for  an 
offence  committed  is  to  him  a  very  difficult  task.  He  is 
a  child,  and  children  rarely  make  atonement  unless  com 
pelled.  They  conceal  their  guilt,  and  so  does  the  Indian. 
If  he  has  wronged  any  one,  the  redman  persists  in  acting  as 
if  nothing  had  happened,  or  he  pouts,  or  avoids  the  party 
offended.  Zashue  did  not  pout,  but  he  avoided  his  wife's 


304  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

dwelling  as  much  as  possible,  and  felt  embarrassed  whtn 
there,  or  as  had  been  the  case  a  few  days  ago,  when  the 
matter  of  Okoya's  wooing  was  discussed,  he  availed  him 
self  of  the  first  pretext  to  take  leave.  To-day  it  was  dif 
ferent;  he  had  to  go  there  for  shelter.  Say  received  him 
in  her  usual  way,  almost  without  a  word,  but  with  a  look  that 
was  at  once  friendly,  searching,  and  unsteady.  It  was  dark 
in  the  inner  room,  and  Zashue  failed  to  notice  his  wife's 
glance. 

Say  also  had  heard  of  the  fasts  and  penitence  to  which 
some  of  the  officers  of  the  tribe  had  submitted  ;  and  she 
rightly  surmised  that  the  accusation  against  Shotaye,  and 
against  herself  perhaps,  had  at  last  been  made,  and  was 
the  cause  of  such  unusual  proceedings.  But  Shotaye  had 
judged  her  well  when  she  decided  upon  not  troubling  Say 
with  a  visit.  It  was  unnecessary,  for  Say  took  everything 
calmly  and  with  perfect  composure.  The  positive  assur 
ance  of  Shotaye  that  she  was  safe,  and  still  more  the  words 
of  her  father  to  the  same  effect,  had  completely  reassured 
the  woman.  She  looked  forward  to  coming  events  with 
anxious  curiosity  rather  than  with  apprehension.  Still  as 
her  husband  unexpectedly  entered  her  dwelling,  she  could 
not  resist  the  temptation  to  sound  him,  and  to  find  out, 
if  possible,  what  he  thought  about  affairs.  While  knead 
ing  the  corn-cakes  she  therefore  asked,  in  a  quiet,  cool 
manner,  — 

"  Hachshtze,  do  you  know  that  the  nashtio  are  fasting?" 

"All  of  them?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  replied,  going  on  with  her  work, 
"  and  yet  I  know  this  much,  —  that  sa  nashtio  does  not  fast 
He  ate  with  us  and  is  going  about  as  usual." 

"What  may  it  all  mean?  "  he  inquired  of  her. 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders,  and  asked, — 

tt  Does  Tyope  do  penance  ?  " 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  305 

In  view  of  the  intimate  relations  existing  between  Tyope 
and  Zashue  this  was  a  very  natural  question,  and  yet  it 
stung  Zashue.  He  interpreted  it  as  a  covert  thrust.  But 
as  he  bethought  himself  of  the  charges  which  Hayoue  had 
uttered  against  the  delegate  from  Shyuamo,  a  whole  series 
of  ideas  rose  within  him  so  suddenly,  and  so  far  from 
pleasant  or  comforting  to  himself,  that  he  forgot  the  con 
versation  and  inclined  his  head  in  thought. 

Say  Koitza  was  too  much  absorbed  by  her  work  to 
notice  the  change  in  her  husband's  manner  at  once.  After 
a  few  moments  of  silence  she  reiterated  her  question. 
Zashue  appeared  to  wake  up ;  he  started,  saying,  — 

"  I  don't  know ;  but  why  do  you  ask  this?  " 

The  woman  realized  that  her  inquiry  might  have  been 
imprudent,  but  with  great  assurance  explained,  — 

"  Because  he  is  nashtio,  and  a  great  one  at  that.  Shyuamo 
is  a  strong  hanutsh,  and  what  it  wants  will  be  done.  It 
alone  can  do  more  than  Tzitz  and  Tanyi  together." 

The  quick,  bold,  apparently  unpremeditated  reply  re 
lieved  Zashue  of  an  undefined  feeling  of  suspicion  that 
had  arisen  within  him.  During  his  moment  of  thoughtful- 
ness  he  had  been  led  from  the  accusations  of  Hayoutf 
against  Tyope  unconsciously  to  the  accusation  which  Tyopt  </  (JU 
had  launched  before  against  Shotaye  and  his  own  wife- 
Quick  as  lightning  it  flashed  upon  his  mind  that  that  accu* 
sation  had  perhaps  been  formulated  again,  and  this  time 
officially  before  the  council.  And  if  Say  were  innocent,  as  ^ 
he  still  believed,  why  did  she  inquire  about  him  who  was 
the  originator  of  it  ?  He  did  not  attribute  her  query  to  a 
guilty  conscience,  for  the  Indian  has  but  a  very  dim  notion 
about  human  conscience,  if  he  thinks  of  it  at  all.  He  or* 
would  have  gone  further  and  have  seen  in  the  utterance  of 
his  wife  the  evidence  of  some  positive  knowledge.  Did 
Say  know  anything  about  the  real  object  of  the  stormy  visit 


306  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

which  he  and  Tyope  paid  to  her  home  during  the  dance  of 
the  ayash  tyucotz?  Her  ready  reply  to  his  mistrustful  in 
quiry  had  allayed  suspicions  as  to  her  guilt  for  the  time 
being,  but  on  the  other  hand  he  felt  strong  misgivings  that 
she  had  found  out  something,  either  of  what  the  Koshare 
said  or  thought  concerning  her,  or  about  the  attempt  which 
Tyope  and  he  had  failed  in.  One  thing,  however,  grew  to 
be  more  and  more  certain  in  his  judgment ;  namely,  that  a 
charge  proffered  against  Shotaye  was  probably  the  cause  of 
the  extraordinary  fastings  going  on  among  the  tribal  heads. 
More  he  could  not  surmise,  still  less  find  out.  But  he 
determined  upon  being  very  guarded  toward  his  wife 
hereafter.  Say,  on  her  side,  had  a  similar  feeling  toward 
him.  The  breach  which  social  customs  already  established 
between  man  and  wife  was  gradually  but  surely  widening. 

Still  they  continued  to  talk  quietly.  No  one  seeing  them 
together  in  the  dingy  kitchen  would  have  suspected  a  lack 
of  harmony,  or  discontent,  much  less  the  sinister  preoccu 
pations  lurking  in  the  heart  of  each.  Both  felt  that  it  was 
useless,  that  they  must  abide  their  time,  avoid  imprudent 
words  and  queries,  conceal  from  each  other  their  misgiv 
ings,  and  wait 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MORE  than  eight  days  had  elapsed  since  the  one  on  which 
Shotaye  had  pledged  her  new  friend,  the  Tehua  warrior,  to 
meet  him  at  the  homes  of  his  tribe.  She  had  not  redeemed 
that  pledge.  In  appearance  she  was  unfaithful  to  Cayamo, 
as  her  knight  was  called ;  and  yet  her  lack  of  compliance 
with  her  promise  was  not  intentional.  She  calculated  that 
her  case  would  have  come  up  by  that  time ;  and  until  this 
occurred,  the  energetic  woman  had  no  intention  of  leaving 
the  Rito,  much  less  of  forsaking  her  friend  Say  Koitza. 
Now  that  her  case  had  been  delayed,  the  eight  days  had 
grown  to  nearly  ten.  The  chayani  and  the  caciques  were 
fasting  still,  as  well  as  some  of  the  clan  delegates. 

Twelve  days  had  passed,  and  it  was  the  last  day  of  official 
penance.  That  evening  something  was  sure  to  occur  to 
relieve  the  situation.  So  everybody  thought  at  the  Tyuonyi ; 
so  Shotaye  thought  herself.  But  she  felt  more  than  usually 
excited  and  worn  out.  It  was  not  fear ;  it  was  the  natural 
longing  of  a  soul  replete  with  energy  and  activity  to  see  a 
matter  ended  that  kept  her  in  suspense.  In  regard  to  Say 
Koitza  she  felt  perfectly  reassured;  the  woman  had  not 
shown  herself  at  her  cave,  and  must  feel  quiet,  cautious, 
and  careful. 

When  the  sun  rose  on  the  fourth  day,  it  found  Shotaye 
just  about  to  take  her  morning  meal.  That  was  soon  over, 
for  there  was  no  coffee,  no  hot  rolls,  no  butter.  It  con 
sisted  merely  of  cold  corn-cakes.  When  she  had  satisfied 


308  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

her  appetite,  she  rose,  shook  the  crumbs  from  her  wrap, 
and  went  out.  She  had  made  a  full  toilet;  that  is,  she 
had  rubbed  her  face  with  her  moistened  hands  and  dried  it 
with  a  deerskin,  whereby  a  little  more  dust  was  added  to 
her  cheeks.  She  felt  pro  forma  clean. 

It  was  yet  so  early  that  hardly  any  one  showed  himsell 
out  of  doors.  The  sun  peeped  up  behind  the  volcanic 
heights  in  the  east,  casting  a  glow  over  the  summits  and 
crests  that  rise  above  the  Rio  Grande  in  that  direction. 
The  Tetilla  stood  out  boldly,  crowning  the  black  ridges  with 
its  slender,  graceful  cone. 

Shotaye  strolled  down  the  Rito.  A  few  people  were 
about ;  but  regardless  of  these  and  what  they  might  think  or 
say,  she  wandered  along  past  the  dwellings  of  the  Eagle  clan. 
What  if  Tyope  should  see  her?  "Let  him  see  me,"  she 
thought ;  "  let  him  become  convinced  that  I  know  nothing, 
that  I  rest  easy,  without  any  suspicion  whatever  of  the 
dreadful  fate  he  has  prepared  for  me.  Later  on  he  may 
find  out  that  his  former  wife  is  more  than  a  match  for 
him." 

She  went  on  and  on,  and  passed  the  big  house.  A  few 
men  stood  on  the  roofs,  gazing  motionless  in  the  direction 
where  the  sun  rose  like  a  mass  of  melted  ore.  Farther  she 
went,  always  down  stream,  quietly  and  with  the  greatest 
apparent  unconcern.  A  girl  from  Yakka  hanutsh  greeted 
her  in  a  friendly  voice ;  she  returned  the  greeting  cheerfully. 
The  cliffs  wherein  Oshatsh,  Shutzuna,  and  lastly  Shyuamo 
resided  were  to  her  left  as  she  passed  the  grove  where 
Okoya  and  Shyuote  had  had  their  first  discussion.  Here 
she  turned  to  the  north,  in  the  direction  of  the  spot  where 
she  had  met  the  Tehua  Indian.  Even  on  this  upward 
trail,  rocky  as  it  was  and  overgrown  with  shrubbery,  het 
form  was  plainly  distinguishable  from  below.  But  Shotaye 
scorned  to  conceal  herself*  she  walked  without  haste  01 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  309 

hurry;  her  errand  was  perfectly  legitimate  and  everybody 
might  see  her  undertake  it. 

Everybody  might  indeed  witness  her  doings  as  far  as  these 
could  be  seen.  She  simply  took  a  walk  on  the  mesa  of  the 
Bird,  Ziro  kauash.  She  hoped  also  to  gather  some  useful 
plants,  —  such  as  the  shkoa,  a  spinach-like  vegetable ;  as- 
clepias ;  apotz,  a  fever- medicine  of  the  genus  artemcsia,  and 
many  other  medicinal  herbs  known  to  the  Indian  and  used  by 
him.  For  it  had  sprinkled  if  not  rained  every  day  of  late, 
and  last  night's  rain  was  still  visible  in  the  drops  that  cov 
ered  the  leaves.  The  ground  was  soft,  and  her  step  left 
plainly  distinguishable  tracks.  Not  only  might  every  one 
see  her;  she  almost  invited  people  to  follow  her  on  her 
wanderings.  Tyope,  the  Koshare  Naua,  the  Chayani,  might 
trail  and  spy  out  her  movements  as  much  and  as  long  as 
they  pleased,  step  by  step  if  they  wished ;  for  the  real  object 
of  her  stroll  they  would  never  be  able  to  guess. 

After  reaching  the  top  of  the  plateau,  Shotaye  sat  down 
on  a  protruding  rock,  from  which  she  might  look  over  the 
whole  valley  beneath.  She  cared  little  for  this ;  her  main 
object  was  to  rest  and  to  think.  What  she  now  undertook 
was  a  step  preliminary  to  the  last  act.  A  trail  almost  indis 
tinguishable,  so  little  was  it  used  of  late,  led  from  the  Rito 
to  the  north,  where  the  Tehuas  dwelt  in  caves  in  the  rock 
which  they  name  Puye.  This  trail  was  the  object  of 
Shotaye's  search.  We  know  of  her  intention  to  take  refuge 
among  the  northern  tribe  of  village  Indians,  but  she  had 
meanwhile  determined  upon  something  else.  She  not  only 
wanted  to  go  but  had  determined  upon  returning !  Yes, 
she  would  return,  though  not  alone.  With  armed  men 
from  the  Puye  she  intended  to  return  in  the  stillness  of 
the  night.  She  would  hide  her  companions  at  the  ap 
proaches  to  the  Tyuonyi,  and  lie  in  wait  for  Tyope  and 
the  old  Delight  Maker,  for  the  Chayani  also  if  possible.  \ 


310  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

The  Tehuas  would  reap  many  scalps ;  she  would  have  had 
her  revenge ;  and  the  deed  could  be  so  performed  as  to 
make  those  at  the  Rito  believe  that  the  Navajos  were  the 
perpetrators.  This  was  her  plan,  and  she  did  not  feel  the 
slightest  scruple  or  compunction.  For  years  she  had  been, 
among  her  own  people,  the  butt  of  numberless  insults  and 
mortifications.  Now  it  had  gone  so  far  that  her  life  even 
was  in  imminent  peril.  Ere  this  should  be  lost,  she  would 
prove  to  her  enemies  that  she  was  alive,  and  terribly  alive  ! 

To  reconnoitre  the  ground,  to  study  every  detail  of  it,  to 
store  her  memory  with  everything  that  might  be  useful  oi 
valuable  in  the  lay  of  the  land,  was  what  she  had  come  for 
now.  After  she  felt  thoroughly  rested  she  rose,  and  con 
tinued  her  walk.  Where  she  had  been  sitting,  the  trail  was 
plain,  for  there  it  descended  into  the  gorge.  So  she  only 
noticed  the  place  and  then  went  into  the  shrubbery  to  seek 
for  plants.  She  gathered  a  few  leaves  of  the  dark-green 
shiutui,  sauntered  from  juniper-bush  to  juniper-bush,  glanced 
from  time  to  time  upward  into  the  tops  of  pines  to  see 
whether  they  bore  edible  nuts  of  the  kind  now  called 
pinons,  or  threw  stones  at  the  noisy  birds  that  fluttered 
about. 

Again  she  came  upon  the  trail,  and  her  trained  eye  could 
follow  it  for  some  distance  until  it  disappeared  in  the  timber. 
So  far  she  felt  sure  of  her  impressions  for  the  future  and 
turned  away  to  the  right,  penetrating  deeper  into  the  forest. 
She  could  find  her  way  even  at  night,  for  the  moon  shone 
still.  Besides,  once  acquainted  with  the  spot  whence  she 
had  to  start,  it  mattered  little  whether  there  was  any  path 
or  not.  The  Indian  needs  only  two  points  to  guide  him 
self,  —  the  place  of  departure  and  the  spot  where  he  wants  to 
arrive.  Moreover,  for  her  flight  it  was  better  not  to  follow 
the  trail  at  all.  She  felt  sure  of  meeting  some  one  of  the 
Tehuas  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Puye. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  311 

The  topographical  details  attracted  the  woman's  attention 
much  more  than  the  path.  She  studied  them  carefully,  pre 
tending  to  hunt  for  plants.  Unconsciously  she  went  farther 
and  farther,  regardless  of  time,  for  it  was  yet  early.  The  sur 
face  of  the  Ziro  kauash  is  slightly  undulated,  as  well  as  the 
mesa  to  the  south  of  the  Tyuonyi ;  the  timber  is  relatively 
sparse ;  the  pines  are  grouped  together  at  intervals ;  and 
juniper  and  cedar  bushes  cover  it  uniformly  like  an  exten 
sive,  irregular  plantation. 

Such  is  the  topography  of  the  mesas  west  of  the  Rio 
Grande,  from  the  Rito  until  one  is  beyond,  and  opposite  to 
San  Ildefonso.  They  are  traversed  and  cut  by  deep  ravines 
and  canons,  which  run  generally  from  west  to  east,  emptying 
their  waters  after  storms  into  the  valley  of  the  river  through 
narrow  gaps,  or  terminating  before  reaching  the  stream 
against  a  towering  wall  of  volcanic  rock.  Ere  Shotaye 
noticed  it,  the  shrubbery  had  begun  to  grow  thinner,  until 
she  noticed  in  front  something  like  a  vacant  space,  indi 
cating  a  gap ;  beyond  that  gap  there  was  timber  again. 
This  told  her  that  she  had  reached  the  brink  of  the  first 
canon  north  of  the  Rito. 

In  these  solitudes  game  is  not  by  any  means  so  plentiful 
as  might  be  supposed.  This  is  particularly  the  case  in  the 
vicinity  of  Indian  settlements.  The  merciless  methods  of 
communal  hunting  either  exterminate  or  frighten  away  most 
of  the  larger  animals.  Roaming  tribes  send  parties  of  men, 
hunters  or  warriors,  long  distances  away ;  and  these  not  only 
slaughter  but  frighten  the  deer,  the  mountain  sheep,  and 
the  mountain  goat,  driving  them  into  regions  less  accessible 
to  man.  The  turkey  alone,  that  noble  bird,  with  its  dark, 
iridescent  plumage,  remains  everywhere ;  and  Shotaye  had 
already  heard  their  loud  cackling  and  calling  before  she 
entered  the  high  timber.  Several  gobblers  as  well  as  hem; 
had  run  away  on  her  approach  ;  at  last  they  rose  into  tha 


3  12  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

air  one  after  the  other,  flapping  their  wings  until  they  set 
tled  down  on  a  tall  pinon  that  was  visible  from  where  the 
woman  stood.  There  were  four  birds  on  the  tree.  With 
necks  extended  and  eyelids  alternately  opening  and  shutting, 
they  peered  down  on  her,  ready  to  soar  away  at  the  least 
suspicious  motion.  Shotaye  could  not  resist  glancing  at 
them.  It  seemed  as  if  something  was  creeping  up  the  tree 
very  slowly.  Like  a  grayish  streak,  a  long  body  flattened 
itself  against  the  trunk.  Shotaye  grew  attentive,  and  the 
more  so  as  the  suspicious  object  all  at  once  disappeared 
below  the  nethermost  branches.  The  turkeys  themselves 
were  so  occupied  with  the  appearance  of  the  woman  that 
they  lost  thought  of  everything  else.  One  of  them,  a  gob 
bler,  braced  himself  up,  his  breast  bulged  out,  his  head  and 
neck  drawn  in ;  then  quickly  thrusting  them  forward,  sent 
out  a  loud  cackle.  At  this  moment  the  pine-branches  were 
violently  tossed  about.  With  noisy  flapping  of  their  wings 
the  hens  rose  into  the  air;  their  companion  flapped  his 
wings  but  once  or  twice,  and  disappeared  in  the  tree-top. 
For  a  moment  the  twigs  and  branches  rustled  and  rattled ; 
then  all  was  still.  A  panther  had  surprised  them  and  se 
cured  one  for  his  breakfast.  A  long  distance  off  might  be 
heard  the  cackling  of  another  gobbler ;  the  forest  was  full 
of  turkeys. 

Shotaye  burst  out  laughing.  The  panther  had  done  well. 
He  had  enough  to  satisfy  his  appetite,  besides,  and  there 
was  no  danger  of  her  being  attacked.  The  American  pan 
ther  is  not  dangerous  to  man ;  but  he  carries  a  mouthful  of 
very  sharp  teeth,  and  his  claws  are  long ;  he  is  a  powerful 
animal,  agile  and  large.  Nobody  can  foretell  what  might 
happen  in  case  he  should  be  ill-humoured.  The  woman 
began  to  scan  the  landscape  around ;  it  was  a  clear  space, 
and  she  could  see  the  bushes  from  their  tops  down  to  the 
ground.  The  base  of  one  of  these  bushes  attracted  her 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  313 

attention.  Almost  level  with  the  soil,  something  black 
appeared  beneath  its  branches.  As  she  examined  it  more 
closely  she  saw  that  it  was  not  really  black,  but  of  a  gray 
ish  brown,  like  the  colour  of  the  soil.  It  was  neither  a 
plant  nor  was  it  a  part  of  the  earth  itself,  nor  a  stone.  It 
might  be  some  animal.  The  more  she  looked  the  more 
she  became  satisfied  that  it  was  neither  animal's  skin  not 
fur.  The  object  was  hairless.  Only  the  skin  of  a  hu 
man  being  could  appear  so  smooth.  Her  first  impulse 
was  to  hide ;  but  before  she  could  execute  her  purpose 
the  object  moved  slightly,  and  something  white  appeared 
above  the  black.  It  was  disk-like,  and  on  it  there  was  some 
object  of  a  red  colour.  The  eyes  of  Shotaye  sparkled  ;  she 
abandoned  all  thoughts  of  concealment  or  of  flight,  and 
fastened  her  gaze  on  the  strange  thing  beneath  the  shrub. 
It  became  clearer  and  clearer  to  her  that  it  was  a  human 
form,  and  that  on  its  back  was  a  white  shield  decorated 
with  red.  That  shield  she  knew  to  be  Cayamo's. 

But  what  could  Cayamo  be  doing  here?  Or  was  it  per 
haps  not  he,  but  some  Navajo  who  had  vanquished  the 
proud  warrior  and  was  carrying  home  his  weapons  in  tri 
umph?  The  latter  appeared  rather  improbable,  and  yet 
who  could  tell?  At  all  events  the  man  was  alive,  for  he 
had  moved.  It  was  equally  certain  that  he  had  not  seen 
her.  In  order  to  clear  up  all  doubt  Shotaye  looked  around 
for  shelter,  and  saw  near  by  a  bush  that  afforded  a  scanty 
hiding-place.  She  glided  to  it  noiselessly;  and  changing 
her  position,  got  nearer  to  him,  and  was  even  able  to  see 
more  of  his  body  and  dress.  The  first  glance  satisfied  her 
that  he  was  not  a  Navajo,  but  a  village  Indian,  and  indeed 
her  friend  Cayamo. 

Every  trace  of  fear  disappeared.  Shotaye  left  the  shelter 
of  the  bush  and  stepped  up  toward  him  rather  noisily,  at 
the  same  time  calling  his  name.  He  did  not  reply ;  and  as 


314  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS 

she  came  nearer,  the  regular  breathing  and  the  heaving  o\ 
his  chest  showed  the  cause  of  his  silence  ;  the  great  warrior 
from  the  Puye  was  fast  asleep  !  Under  different  circum 
stances  she  would  have  left  him  and  quietly  retired,  but 
now  she  could  not;  the  opportunity  was  too  favourable, 
matters  too  threatening  for  her.  She  must  be  recognized 
by  him  once  more,  must  show  to  him  that  she  still  counted 
on  his  pledge,  on  his  friendship,  his  protection.  Yet  sh< 
did  not  wake  him,  but  went  close  to  his  prostrate  form  and 
bent  over  it,  even  holding  her  breath  for  a  while. 

He  slept  profoundly.  The  war-paint  on  his  face  was 
sorely  blurred ;  the  campaign  had  not  improved  his  appear 
ance, — the  face  with  closed  eyes  resembled  a  lump  of  dirt 
rather  than  a  human  head,  his  kilt  was  tattered,  and  his 
legs  covered  with  scars  and  scratches.  The  circular  san 
dals,  much  dilapidated,  were  tied  to  the  belt;  and  close 
to  them  was  another  object,  which  Shotaye  began  to  ex 
amine  attentively,  while  her  eyes  flashed  at  the  sight  of 
it.  It  was  a  piece  of  human  skin  covered  with  gore  and 
straight  hair  partly  plaited.  Her  heart  began  to  pulsate 
proudly  and  in  delight,  for  she  saw  that  Cayamo  had  se 
cured  a  scalp,  the  scalp  of  a  Navajo !  Cayamo  was  a 

('"great  warrior!  Shotaye  was  careful  not  to  touch  the  tro 
phy,  for  no  woman  is  allowed  to  handle  the  sacred  token 
until  after  its  taking  has  been  duly  celebrated  in  the  great 
dance  of  the  tribe.  But  lest  the  hero  might  wake  up  pre 
maturely  and  notice  her  presence  in  too  close  proximity  to 
the  repulsive  laurels  which  he  had  won,  Shotaye  quietly 
withdrew  and  sat  down  at  some  distance  from  him,  where 
he  could  easily  see  her,  and  quietly  awaited  his  rising  from 
the  slumbers  of  fatigue. 

< —  In  point  of  fact  it  was  not  proper  for  her  to  remain  so 
close  to  him.  The  scalp-crowned  warrior  must  keep  aloof 
from  the  other  sex  until  he  has  been  purified  and  has 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  31$ 

danced.  Shotaye  relied  upon  the  extraordinary  circum* 
stances,  and  upon  his  interpretation  of  her  presence  as 
having  run  after  him,  to  obtain  his  forgiveness.  Further 
more  they  were  alone ;  and  a  few  moments  spent  in  the 
practice  of  sign-language  could  not,  she  trusted,  deprive  the 
scalp  of  the  magic  qualities  attributed  to  it.  Had  it  been  a 
warrior  from  the  Rito  she  would  have  left  him  long  ago. 

Cayamo  was  manifestly  tired,  for  he  slept  hard.  The 
sun  stood  close  to  the  zenith,  and  still  he  dozed.  The 
luminary  of  day  did  not  only  illuminate,  but  its  heat  was 
scorching ;  the  shadows  under  cover  of  which  Cayamo  had 
retreated  were  moving  gradually,  and  the  unkempt  head  ol 
the  hero  became  exposed  to  the  most  direct  rays.  The 
heat  began  to  disturb  him  :  he  groaned,  stretched  himself, 
moved  uneasily,  and  attempted  to  turn  over.  In  this  he 
bent  his  shield,  and  the  hard  leather  struck  him  in  the  ribs. 
Cayamo  woke  up !  He  opened  his  eyes  and  yawned, 
closed  them  again,  then  opened  the  lids  a  second  time, 
when  his  look  became  suddenly  a  stare  of  surprise.  Light 
ning-like  he  rose  to  a  sitting  posture,  and  grasped  the  bow 
as  well  as  his  war- club.  In  this  position  he  stared  at  the 
woman,  who  smiled,  winking  and  placing  a  finger  on  her  lips. 
As  soon  as  she  whispered  "  Shotaye,"  the  threatening  flash  in 
his  eye  vanished ;  he  dropped  both  weapons  and  threw  his 
features  into  a  repulsive,  hideous  grin  intended  for  a  soft 
smile.  Then  he  rose.  It  was  very  plain  that  he  felt  over 
joyed,  and  that  he  would  fain  have  expressed  his  delight  to 
the  woman  through  some  clumsy  caress,  but  he  restrained 
his  feelings  and  became  serious. 

Extending  his  arm  to  the  west,  he  shook  his  head  in 
a  warning  manner,  pointed  to  himself,  made  the  sign  in 
dicating  the  act  of  men  coming,  and  said,  "  Uan  save ;  " 
then  he  waved  his  hand  northward,  afterward  at  the  sun/ 
ind  finallv  HP  nointed  at  Shotaye,  uttering, — 


316  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Uiye  tha,  « two  days  ! '  " 

She  could  not  fully  comprehend.  Until  better  informed 
she  drew  the  conclusion  that  the  Navajos  were  in  pursuit  of 
him,  but  more  she  failed  to  understand.  To  ascertain  his 
meaning  she  pointed  at  him,  then  at  herself,  raised  four  of 
her  fingers,  and  asked,  — 

"Tehua?" 

Cayamo  shook  his  head,  counted  two  on  his  fingers, 
accompanying  the  gestures  with  the  words,  — 

"Tema  quio  Puye,"  pointing  to  the  north  at  the  same 
time.  Now  her  doubts  were  cleared.  Shotaye  saw  that 
two  days  hence  she  would  be  expected  among  the  Tehuas. 
She  nodded  eagerly  and  rose.  If  the  Navajos,  as  she  rightly 
concluded,  were  on  her  warrior's  trail,  it  was  unsafe  for  both 
of  them  to  remain  here  long ;  but  neither  could  she  insinuate 
to  Cayamo  that  she  would  like  to  go  with  him  at  once.  T<1 
her  surprise  the  man  bent  down  and  with  his  fingers 
drew  a  line  on  the  ground  which  ran  in  the  direction  where 
the  cave-dwellings  of  the  Tehuas  were  situated.  The  wo 
man  bent  over  him  with  great  curiosity. 

"  Tupoge,"  said  Cayamo,  indicating  the  southern  end  oi 
the  line  and  looking  askance.  Shotaye  nodded  that  she  un 
derstood,  and  he  slowly  moved  his  fingers  along  the  line  to 
the  north,  uttering,  — 

"  Tema  quio." 

The  northern  terminus  of  the  streak  he  designated  as 
Puye.  Finally  he  made  a  mark  across  the  middle  of  the 
line,  saying  very  positively,  — 

"  Uiye  tha  Shotaye  Teanyi."  These  words  he  accompanied 
successively  with  the  signs  for  the  number  two,  for  male 
Indian,  and  for  the  meeting  of  two  persons. 

Nothing  could  be  clearer.  Two  days  hence  Shotaye  was 
to  leave  the  Rito  for  the  Puye ;  and  as  Cayamo  himseli 
would  be  unable  to  meet  her,  owing  to  the  ceremonies  which 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  317 

he  had  to  perform  in  honour  of  the  scalp,  some  male  friend 
of  his,  called  Teayni,  would  meet  her  half-way  and  conduct 
her  safely  to  the  abode  of  his  people.  With  a  radiant  face 
the  woman  nodded  assent,  and  made  other  gestures  ex 
pressive  of  delight  and  agreement.  Cayamo  took  advan 
tage  of  his  cowering  posture  to  fasten  the  war-sandals  to 
his  naked  feet,  and  then  rose  and  took  the  trail  towards  the 
north,  but  Shotaye  held  him  back  in  token  of  misgivings. 
He  understood  her  motive,  but  pointed  to  his  circular  foot 
gear  and  smiled.  It  was  clear  that  he  trusted  to  the  round 
tracks  left  by  that  contrivance  for  safety.  So  he  went  on 
toward  the  brink  of  the  gorge  that  lay  before  them.  As 
soon  as  his  form  had  sunk  below  it,  Shotaye  also  turned, 
this  time  in  the  direction  of  the  Rito. 

Everything  was  right  at  last !  She  felt  safe,  completely 
safe ;  for  the  road  was  clear  to  her,  and  furthermore  Cayamo, 
of  whose  attachment  she  was  now  fully  convinced,  would 
provide  for  a  guide  during  the  second  half  of  the  journey, 
which  was  utterly  unknown  to  her.  Everything  was  moving 
to  her  fullest  satisfaction,  provided  she  could  escape  from 
the  Rito. 

In  regard  to  that  matter  she  had  scarcely  any  doubt, 
unless  —  and  this  thought  came  to  her  while  she  was  wend 
ing  her  way  slowly  homeward  —  some  one  should  have  fol 
lowed  her  and  witnessed  the  strange  meeting  between  her 
and  Cayamo.  In  that  case  everything  might  be  lost.  But 
there  were  not  the  slightest  marks  of  human  presence  about. 
Nature,  even,  seemed  to  slumber  in  the  heat  of  the  day ;  an 
occasional  lizard  rustled  through  the  dried  twigs  and  fallen 
pine  needles,  a  crow  sat  on  a  dry  limb,  and  high  up  in 
the  air  an  eagle  soared  below  the  mares'  tails  that  streamed 
over  the  sky.  It  would  have  been  very  disagreeable,  to 
say  the  least,  if  one  or  other  of  the  Navajos  who  were  in 
pursuit  of  Cayamo  should  cross  her  path ;  but  of  this  she 


318  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

had  little  fear.  She  was  already  too  near  the  Rito  for  that 
Soon  the  gorge  opened  at  her  feet,  showing  a  placid,  lovely 
picture,  —  the  little  valley  down  below,  huge  pines  raising 
their  dark  columns  by  the  side  of  light-green  corn-patches, 
and  the  tall  pile  of  the  big  houses  looming  up  like  an 
enormous  round  tower.  But  Shotaye  was  not  affected  by 
scenery.  Walking  along  the  brink  to  the  west  she  at  last 
reached  the  upper  end,  where  twelve  days  ago  she  had 
ascended,  and  where  the  brook,  swollen  by  late  rains,  now 
gushed  down  the  ledges  in  a  series  of  murmuring  cascades. 
Here  she  began  her  descent,  and  as  the  sun  disappeared  be 
hind  threatening  clouds  over  the  western  mountains,  she  en 
tered  her  home  again.  Shotaye  had  spent  nearly  the  whole 
day  on  the  mesa,  had  spent  it  profitably,  and  was  —  so  she 
fancied  —  in  complete  security  as  regarded  her  ultimate 
designs. 

And  yet  had  the  woman,  after  taking  leave  of  the  strange 
Indian  and  after  the  latter  had  gone  out  of  sight,  peered 
into  the  shadow  of  the  pines  on  one  of  which  the  panther 
had  so  nimbly  captured  the  unsuspecting  turkey,  she  might 
have  noticed  something  that  would  have  greatly  modified 
her  ideas  on  this  point.  For  behind  one  of  them  there 
stood,  all  the  while  she  and  the  Tehua  were  carrying  on 
their  pantomime,  a  human  figure  intently  watching  them. 
Pressed  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree  there  was,  motionless, 
quiet,  calm,  not  a  common  spy,  but  a  cool  observer  of  her 
doings,  whose  presence  was  accidental,  but  who  not  only 
watched  but  at  the  same  time  judged  and  passed  sentence 
on  her  actions. 

£-"  A  short  time  after  Shotaye  had  set  out  on  her  walk, 
Topanashka  Tihua  also  started  in  the  same  direction. 
With  all  the  self-control  he  had  maintained,  inward  agita 
tion  and  sorrow  nearly  overcame  him.  The  nearer  the 
hour  came  when  the  momentous  question  that  was  going 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  319 

to  shake  the  existence  of  the  tribe  to  its  very  foundations 
would  be  taken  in  hand,  the  more  conscious  he  became  that 
he  was  carrying  a  terrible  load,  and  that  upon  his  action  de 
pended  nearly  everything.  The  feeling  of  responsibility  was 
crushing.  He  had,  of  course,  ascertained  nothing  new; 
neither  had  he  thought  of  making  notes  of  what  met  his 
gaze.  But  on  this  last  day  he  felt  the  necessity  of  being 
alone  ere  the  dread  moment  came.  Others  could  not  help ; 
he  was  alone  with  his  thoughts,  and  yet,  as  he  did  no  fast 
ing,  not  alone  in  the  proper  use  of  the  word.  On  that  last 
day,  therefore,  he  resolved  upon  retiring  to  some  solitude. 
It  would  attract  no  undue  attention,  and  he  would  have 
done  according  to  the  spirit  of  the  shaman's  instructions. 
After  leaving  the  Rito  he  climbed  to  the  northern  mesa, 
and  instead  of  resting  on  its  brink  as  Shotaye  had,  he 
strolled  into  the  timber  perfectly  at  random,  hardly  con 
scious  whither  he  directed  his  steps,  and  content  to  be  for 
once  alone  with  his  dismal  thoughts. 

However  much  he  speculated  and  reflected  upon  the 
matter,  he  drew  not  the  slightest  comfort  from  it.  The 
main  factor  he  lacked ;  namely,  a  knowledge  of  the  judgment 
which  Those  Above  would  render.  This  the  chayani  alone 
knew,  and  they  alone  would  proclaim  it  at  the  council.  If 
the  case  of  Shotaye  only  had  been  before  the  meeting,  his 
position  would  have  been  very  simple.  All  he  had  to 
do  was  to  kill  her  if  found  guilty,  and  he  was  ready  to  do 
this  at  any  time.  He  did  not  especially  hate  the  woman, 
and  all  he  cared  for  in  such  an  event  was  to  perform  his 
duty.  In  regard  to  his  daughter  Say  he  no  longer  enter 
tained  any  apprehension.  Matters,  however,  had  degen 
erated  into  a  venomous  contention  between  two  clans, 
amounting  almost  to  a  schism  in  the  tribe.  If  now  the 
Chayani  in  the  name  of  the  Shiuana  proclaimed  that 
Shyuamo  was  right,  and  the  others,  his  own  clan  included, 


320  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

resisted,  what  then?  He  had  to  obey,  he  had  to  execute 
what  Those  Above  decreed ;  for  that  purpose  was  he  called 
maseua,  like  him  who  bears  the  same  name  and  is  the  most 
active  among  all  the  deities  on  high.  What  the  Shiuana 
determined  was  right  always. 

The  old  man  sat  down  under  a  tree  and  attempted 
to  ponder  over  this  little  query  of  "  always."  But  he  did  it 
in  vain.  It  was  a  problem  perhaps  not  beyond  the  reach 
of  his  intelligence,  if  it  had  been  properly  cultivated,  but 
far  beyond  the  limits  which  training  and  custom  had  set 
to  the  working  powers  of  that  intelligence.  He  staggered 
from  doubt  to  doubt,  and  finally  gave  it  up.  No  other 
conclusion  could  he  reach  than  to  wait.  But  waiting  alone 
gives  no  light,  does  not  comfort,  gives  neither  strength 
nor  wisdom.  Strength  and  wisdom,  so  the  Indian  believes, 
are  gifts  from  above,  and  can  be  obtained  by  prayer. 
Topanashka  came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  would  pray. 
He  picked  up  a  stone,  and  was  searching  his  memory  for 
one  of  the  many  formulas  that  the  Indian  has  in  his  rituals, 
when  a  faint  pattering  sound  attracted  his  attention. 

It  was  as  if  something  glided  through  brushwood.  He 
forgot  to  pray,  and  listened.  Now  it  sounded  again,  at  a 
greater  distance  from  him.  Only  some  animal  could  have 
produced  the  noise ;  a  human  being  would  either  have  come 
up  to  him  if  a  friend,  or  kept  absolutely  still  if  a  foe.  He 
looked  and  looked,  and  at  last  caught  a  glimpse  of  the 
panther's  yellowish  fur  gliding  along  the  ground.  When  a 
cat  glides  stealthily  she  is  on  the  hunt.  His  curiosity  was 
fully  aroused ;  he  longed  to  see  what  the  animal  was  hunting 
and  how  he  would  succeed.  Furthermore  the  panther  is  in 
the  eyes  of  the  Pueblo  Indian  the  symbol  of  the  greatest 
physical  power.  A  feeling  overcame  the  old  man  as  if  this 
symbol  was  presenting  itself  to  him  at  the  very  time  when 
he  needed  the  greatest  moral  strength  himself;  and  the 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  321 

animal  appeared  like  a  living  fetich,  a  hint  from  Those 
Above.  He  followed  the  movements  of  the  puma  eagerly. 
The  tree  where  the  turkeys  sat  stood  near ;  he  had  heard 
their  gobblings  long  ago  without  paying  any  attention  tc 
them.  But  now  they  explained  the  movements  of  the 
gigantic  cat ;  he  was  creeping  up  to  the  birds.  The  puma 
approached  the  tree  noiselessly ;  at  its  foot  he  laid  down  his 
head,  and  raised  his  tail,  sweeping  the  ground  with  nervous 
force.  Now  the  beast  of  prey  began  to  climb  the  trunk  of 
the  pine  carefully  and  noiselessly.  He  reached  the  lower 
branches  and  disappeared  within  their  maze.  Then  fol 
lowed  his  spring;  and  the  turkeys  flew  away,  all  but  one. 
With  a  tremendous  leap  the  cat  broke  through  the  tree-top 
and  down  on  the  ground,  with  the  wriggling  bird  in  his 
jaws,  and  trotted  off  howling. 

Topanashka  had  witnessed  the  performance  with  inter 
est  and  with  genuine  pleasure.  He  admired  the  strength 
and  the  swiftness  of  the  animal  hunter.  Unconsciously  his 
thought  turned  back  to  the  intended  prayer,  and  he  earn 
estly  addressed  it  now  to  Those  Above,  that  they  might  give 
to  his  heart  the  strength  which  the  panther  had  shown  in 
his  limbs.  Placing  two  sticks  on  the  ground  before  him 
and  a  stone  over  them,  he  rose  to  go.  But  another  sight 
met  his  eyes,  and  he  stood  still  as  if  rooted  to  the  soil,  gazed 
and  gazed.  His  eyes  opened  wide,  then  his  expression 
became  dark  and  almost  fierce. 

On  the  clear  space  beyond  the  pines  on  which  the  puma 
had  caught  his  prey,  a  woman  sat  near  a  cedar-bush ;  and  in 
the  shade  of  the  bush  a  man  rested.  The  first  glance  con 
vinced  Topanashka  that  the  man  wore  paint,  and  carried 
the  accoutrements  and  weapons  of  a  warrior.  It  was  not  a 
warrior  from  the  Rito ;  he  was  positive  it  could  not  be. 
Nor  was  it  a  Navajo.  He  undoubtedly  belonged  to  some 
foreign  tribe  of  village  Indians,  in  all  probability  to  the 


322  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Tehuas.  What  was  he  here  for  ?  And  what  business  had 
the  woman  in  his  company?  Indians  in  war-paint  do  not 
associate  with  women.  Topanashka  strained  his  eyes,  and 
recognized  to  his  astonishment  and  dismay  the  woman 
Shotaye. 

He  could  not  contain  himself  any  longer.  Like  a  shadow 
he  moved  forward  and  hid  behind  the  trunk  of  a  pine, 
whence  he  could  see  more  and  better.  From  there  he  wit 
nessed  the  strange  pantomime  of  Shotaye  and  Cayamo.  He 
was  too  far  off  to  hear  the  words,  but  the  gestures  spoke 
plainly  enough.  As  they  pointed  and  gesticulated  to  the  west, 
north,  and  south,  he  thought  that  they  were  planning  some 
murderous  surprise  for  the  Queres,  —  that  Shotaye  was  be 
traying  her  own  people  and  conspiring  with  an  enemy  of  her 
own  stock.  Fierce  wrath  filled  his  heart.  Yes,  Tyope's 
charge  was  true ;  the  woman  was  a  witch,  and  had  Topa 
nashka  been  armed  he  would  have  sought  to  kill  her  on  the 
spot.  But  though  he  had  no  weapons,  his  hand  clutched  a 
stone,  raised  it  from  the  ground,  and  held  it  in  readiness. 
The  interview  ended,  the  Tehua  disappeared,  and  Shotaye 
went  in  the  direction  of  the  Rito.  Topanashka  felt  tempted 
to  follow  her  at  once,  to  overtake  her  if  possible  and  secure 
her  person,  or  even  to  execute  summary  justice ;  but  she 
was  sure  not  to  escape  him.  She  had  evidently  not  noticed 
his  presence  and  had  gone  back  to  her  den  in  the  cliffs  in 
complete  security.  There,  on  this  very  evening,  he  would 
seize  her,  drag  her  before  the  uuityam,  disclose  her  shame 
less  and  dangerous  plots,  and  doom  her  to  the  horrible 
death  she  deserved  to  suffer. 

Whither  was  her  accomplice,  the  Tehua,  going  meanwhile  ? 
He  was  probably  returning  to  his  people  to  report,  and  to  lead 
back  those  in  whose  company  he  intended  to  carry  out  the 
projected  assault.  The  old  man  could  not  stop  him,  being 
himself  unarmed  ;  but  he  could  follow  at  a  distance,  cau- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  323 

riously  and  without  exposing  himself  to  danger.  For  it 
was  possible  that  the  hellish  plot  had  developed  much  fur 
ther,  and  that  the  warriors  from  the  north  were  lurking 
already  near  by  to  pounce  upon  the  Queres  at  daybreak. 
It  was  not  only  from  the  instinct  of  the  old  warrior  scout, 
it  was  out  of  a  sense  of  duty  as  head  war-chief  that  he  de 
termined  at  once  upon  following  the  Tehua.  As  soon  as 
Shotaye,  too,  was  out  of  sight,  he  went  over  to  the  spot 
where  the  interview  had  taken  place  and  examined  the 
soil  carefully.  The  round  impression  made  by  a  war-sandal 
struck  his  eye ;  it  proved  to  him  beyond  any  possibility  of 
doubt  that  his  inferences  were  correct.  The  old  man 
straightened  himself  to  his  full  height.  His  piercing  glance 
went  in  the  direction  whither  the  Tehua  had  gone.  He 
bent  forward  again  and  followed  the  same  line  toward  the 
north. 

The  sun  had  just  set  over  the  Rito.  It  disappeared  be 
hind  dense  clouds ;  a  storm  was  gathering  in  the  west.  Its 
wings  were  spreading  like  tentacles ;  they  pushed  on  to 
meet  the  moon,  whose  light  was  just  rising  in  the  east  as  a 
dim  whitish  arch.  The  orb  itself  still  remained  below  the 
horizon.  Gusts  of  wind  whirled  up  the  gorge  from  the  east 
at  intervals,  causing  the  pines  to  sigh,  the  willows  and 
poplars  to  rustle.  The  corn  whispered  and  tinkled.  The 
usual  bustle  prevailed  about  the  houses  and  in  front  of  the 
caves. 

Before  the  grotto  where  the  council  was  to  meet  that 
night,  men  were  standing,  sitting,  or  lounging.  They  were 
the  delegates  who  had  come  to  listen  at  last  to  the  oracle 
which  was  to  be  revealed  to  them  through  the  mouth  ol 
the  great  shaman.  Their  number  was  not  yet  complete ; 
the  Tapop,  Tyope,  the  Koshare  Naua  were  there,  but 
neither  the  Caciques  nor  the  Chayani  nor  the  Maseua  had 


324  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

put  in  an  appearance.  Everybody  was  silent,  hardly  a 
word  was  heard  from  time  to  time,  seldom  a  whisper. 
The  men  were  in  part  exhausted  by  long  penitence,  but 
mostly  depressed  as  if  some  nightmare  was  still  weighing 
upon  them.  The  obligation  to  be  silent  imposed  by  the 
medicine-man  was  yet  in  force. 

One  by  one  those  who  were  lacking  came.  The  medicine 
men  appeared  at  last,  and  only  the  yaya  and  the  maseua 
were  missing.  The  tapop,  prompted  by  a  wink  of  the 
Hishtanyi  Chayan,  went  into  the  cave  and  prepared  the 
council-fire.  It  burned  well,  but  nobody  came. 

Distant  thunder  rolled  through  the  clouds;  lightning 
flashed  from  them  in  fiery  red  tongues.  The  wind  con 
tinued  to  blow  in  gusts,  but  at  long  intervals  only.  Be 
tween  gust  and  gust  it  grew  dismally,  anxiously,  still.  The 
singing,  shouting,  laughing  of  the  people  had  almost  ceased. 
Now  the  wind  again  whirled  up  the  valley  stronger  than 
before,  and  as  its  noise  ceased,  a  plaintive  sound,  a  distant 
howling,  floated  on  the  air.  It  waxed  in  strength  and 
power  till  it  rose  into  the  night  shrill  and  heart-rending. 
The  men  listened  in  surprise.  Sobs,  cries,  shrieks,  from 
time  to  time  a  piercing  scream,  were  the  dismal  sounds 
that  struck  upon  their  ears.  All  came  from  the  large  build 
ing  ;  it  was  a  lament  by  many  voices,  the  sad,  soul-rending 
lament  over  the  dead  ! 

r  Breathlessly  they  listened.  Hurried  footsteps  rushed 
toward  them,  several  men  came  running  up  the  slope. 
When  the  foremost  of  them  reached  the  group  he  asked, 
panting,  — 

"Where  is  the  tapop?" 

Hoshkanyi  Tihua  stepped  forward  and  inquired,  — 
"  What  has  happened  ?    What  do  you  want  ?  " 
"  Our  father  the  maseua,"  gasped  the  man,  "  is  dead ! 
He  was  killed  on  the  Ziro  kauash  ! " 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  3/5 

•'  Who  killed  him  ?  "  demanded  the  principal  chayan, 
placing  himself  in  front  of  the  speaker. 

The  Indian  raised  his  arm  on  high ;  from  it  depended  a 
circular  object.  As  the  pale  light  of  the  rising  moon  fell  on 
it,  it  was  plainly  distinguishable  as  a  circular  war-sandal  1 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"Dro  you  find  that?  "  asked  the  shaman. 

"  Yes,  I  found  it.     I  and  Hayash  Tihua  together." 

"Where?" 

"  On  the  kauash,  on  the  trail  that  leads  to  the  north." 

"Who  killed  sa  nashtio?"  the  chayan  further  inquired. 
He  alone  carried  on  the  investigation;  Hoshkanyi  Tihua 
had  mingled  with  the  rest  again,  and  stood  there  silent  and 
speechless  over  the  terrible  news.  Neither  did  any  of  the 
others  utter  a  single  word,  but  from  time  to  time  one  or 
the  other  shook  his  head  and  sighed  deeply. 

"We  don't  know,"  replied  the  Indian,  "  for  we  did  not 
find  anything  else." 

"  Have  you  looked  for  more?  "  emphasized  the  medicine 
man. 

The  other  hung  his  head  as  if  he  felt  the  reproach.  "  No,*' 
he  said  in  a  low  tone. 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  we  were  afraid  that  other  Tehuas  might  be 
around." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  the  people  from  the  north  have 
killed  our  nashtio?" 

"Because  the  Moshome  Dinne  never  wear  such."  He 
pointed  to  the  sandal,  which  he  had  handed  to  the  tapop. 

"Did  the  shoe  lie  where  our  father  died?" 

"No,  we  found  it  closer  to  the  Tyuonyi." 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS,  327 

A  flutter  went  through  the  group,  —  a  movement  of  sur 
prise  and  of  terror.  Many  persons  had  collected,  and  the 
steps  of  more  were  heard  coming  up.  In  the  valley  the 
wind  sighed.  Louder  than  its  plaintive  moaning  sounded 
the  howling  wail  that  continued  in  the  great  house  with 
undiminished  power.  The  Hishtanyi  continued, — 

"How  did  the  shuatyam  kill  our  father?"  His  voice 
trembled  as  he  uttered  these  words. 

"With  arrows." 

"Have  you  brought  them  along?" 

"  Yes." 

"  How  many?" 

"  One. " 

"Where  is  the  corpse?" 

"At  the  house  of  Tanyi  hanutsh." 

The  shaman  turned  around.  "  Tyame,"  he  called  to  the 
delegate  of  the  Eagle  clan,  "  do  your  duty.  And  you,  too, 
Tapop." 

The  group  was  about  to  disperse  when  the  Shikama 
Chayan  called  back  the  men  who  had  brought  the  news. 
All  stood  still  and  listened. 

"  Is  the  head  entire  ?  "  asked  the  medicine-man. 

"The  scalp  is  not  on  it." 

A  murmur  of  indignation  arose.  The  chayan  turned 
away  and  walked  slowly  along  the  foot  of  the  cliffs  toward 
his  dwelling.  Every  one  set  out  for  the  great  house,  talking 
together  excitedly,  but  in  low  voices.  The  tapop,  Tyame, 
<nd  the  two  men  who  had  found  the  body  took  the  lead. 
The  Hishtanyi  Chayan  and  the  Shkuy  Chayan  came  last. 

The  nearer  they  came  to  the  great  building,  the  louder 
and  more  dismal  sounded  the  lamentations. 

The  storm  was  approaching  with  threatening  speed. 
One  dense  mass  of  inky  clouds  shrouded  the  west.  From 
time  to  time  it  seemed  to  open,  and  sheets  of  fire  would  fill 


328  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

the  gap.  To  this  threatening  sky  the  death-wail  ascended 
tremulously  and  plaintively,  like  a  timid  appeal  for  redress. 
In  response  the  heavens  shot  angry  lightning  and  thunder 
peals.  The  cliffs  on  the  Tyuonyi  trembled,  and  re-echoed 
the  voices  from  above,  which  seemed  to  tell  feeble  humanity 
below,  "  We  come  !  " 

It  was  long  before  sunset  when  the  old  war-chief  of  the 
Queres,  after  having  thoroughly  examined  the  spot  where 
the  interview  between  Shoiaye  and  the  Tehua  Indian  took 
place,  began  to  follow  on  the  tracks  of  the  latter.  He  was 
undertaking  a  difficult,  an  extremely  dangerous  task.  It  is 
not  easy  for  a  man  well  provided  with  weapons  to  pursue 
an  armed  Indian,  but  to  attempt  it  unarmed  is  foolhardi- 
ness.  The  Indian  is  most  dangerous  when  retreating,  for 
then  he  enjoys  the  best  opportunities  to  display  his  main 
tactics  in  warfare,  which  are  hiding  and  patient  lurking. 
He  has  every  opportunity  to  prepare  his  favourite  ambush, 
and  woe  unto  him  who  runs  after  an  Indian  on  the  retreat, 
unless  the  pursuer  is  thoroughly  prepared  and  well  ac 
quainted  with  the  war-tricks  of  the  redman.  The  annals 
of  western  warfare  give  sad  evidence  of  the  disastrous  re 
sults.  The  mountaineers  among  the  Indian  tribes  are  those 
who  are  best  skilled  in  the  murderous  hide-and-seek  game. 
Indians  of  the  plains  have  less  occasion  to  cultivate  it. 

Topanashka  Tihua  was  aware  that  if  he  followed  the 
Tehua  he  was  risking  his  own  life.  But  it  was  not  the  first 
time  he  had  attempted  such  dangerous  undertakings,  and  so 
far  he  had  never  failed.  With  the  configuration  of  the  ground 
and  the  landmarks  in  vegetation  and  scenery  he  was  far 
better  acquainted  than  the  Tehua.  Furthermore,  he  en 
joyed  the  material  advantage  that  the  latter  could  not  have 
noticed  him.  Everything  depended  on  ascertaining  unseen 
as  much  as  possible  about  the  enemy's  movements. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  329 

From  some  of  Shotaye's  gesticulations  the  maseua  had 
concluded  that  the  Tehua  would  proceed  on  the  old  trail 
leading  from  the  Rito  to  the  Puye,  or  at  least  keep  himself 
very  near  that  trail.  He  was  confirmed  in  it  by  the  direc 
tion  which  the  friend  of  the  woman  took  after  leaving  her. 
Topanashka  maintained,  therefore,  the  same  course,  go 
ing  slowly  and  with  the  greatest  caution.  He  kept  on  the 
alert  for  the  least  noise  that  struck  him  as  suspicious,  or 
for  which  he  could  not  at  once  account. 

In  consequence  of  the  heat  of  the  day,  the  forest  was 
remarkably  still.  Not  a  breeze  sighed  through  the  tops  of 
the  pines,  for  the  wind  that  blows  toward  a  coming  storm 
and  heralds  its  approach  rises  later  in  the  day.  The  distant 
gobbling  of  turkeys  was  a  sound  that  awakened  no  suspi 
cions,  the  more  so  as  it  grew  fainter  and  fainter,  receding 
in  the  direction  of  the  higher  crests  and  peaks.  Neither 
were  the  numerous  crows  a  source  of  uneasiness  to  him. 
On  every  clearing  these  birds  gravely  promenaded  by  half- 
dozens  together,  and  his  cautious  gliding  across  such  ex 
posed  places  did  not  in  the  least  discommode  the  dusky 
company.  As  soon  as  Topanashka  came  in  sight  of  the 
trail  again  he  kept  near  it,  but  to  its  left,  gliding  from  tree 
to  tree  or  creeping  across  clear  expanses  from  shrub  to 
shrub.  He  therefore  moved  more  slowly  than  the  Tehua 
whom  he  was  pursuing. 

In  this  manner  he  had  advanced  for  quite  a  while, 
always  keeping  an  eye  on  the  trail  to  his  right,  when  he 
caught  sight  of  a  suspicious  object  lying  directly  in  the 
path,  where  the  latter  was  barely  more  than  a  faint  streak 
across  the  thin  grass  that  grows  sometimes  on  the  plateaus 
in  bunches.  At  once  the  old  man  stopped,  cowered  be 
hind  a  juniper,  and  waited. 

A  novice  on  the  war-path,  or  an  inexperienced  white  man, 
vould  have  gone  to  examine  the  strange  object  more  closely, 


33°  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

but  the  old  scout  takes  such  unexpected  finds  in  the  light 
of  serious  warning.  Nothing  appears  more  suspicious  to 
him  than  something  which  seems  to  have  been  accidentally 
dropped  on  a  trail  over  which  hostile  Indians  are  retreating. 
He  forthwith  thinks  of  a  decoy,  and  is  careful  not  to  ap 
proach.  For  Topanashka  it  was  doubly  significant,  for  had 
the  object  purposely  been  placed  there,  it  led  to  the  dis 
agreeable  inference  that  the  Tehua  was  aware  of  his  pursuit. 
In  that  case  he  was  sure  to  lie  in  wait  for  him,  and  upon 
nearer  approach  he  could  expect  an  arrow- shot  without 
the  least  doubt.  That  shot  might  miss  him,  but  at  all 
events  the  lurking  enemy  would  find  out  that  his  pursuer 
was  an  unarmed  man,  and  that  there  was  no  danger  in 
attacking  him  openly.  Then  the  situation  would  become 
desperate. 

Still,  as  the  old  man  had  always  kept  to  the  right  of  the 
trail,  it  was  possible  that  the  enemy  had  not  so  far  noticed 
him.  But  somewhere  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  suspi 
cious  object  that  enemy  must  be  hidden ;  of  that  he  felt 
sure.  It  was  a  very  serious  moment,  for  any  awkward 
movement  or  the  least  noise  might  bring  about  his  destruc 
tion.  Under  such  circumstances  many  a  one  sends  a  short 
prayer  to  Heaven  for  assistance  in  his  hour  of  need.  Not 
so  the  Indian ;  he  has  only  formulas  and  ritualistic  perform 
ances,  and  there  was  no  time  to  remember  the  former  01 
to  think  of  the  latter.  Topanashka  strained  his  eyes  to  the 
utmost  to  find  out  the  nature  of  the  suspicious  object  that 
lay  not  far  from  his  hiding-place,  but  he  could  arrive  at  no 
satisfactory  result.  It  appeared  to  be  round,  like  a  flat 
disk ;  but  of  what  material  it  was  made  and  for  what  pur 
pose  it  had  been  manufactured,  he  could  not  discover.  At 
last  it  flashed  upon  him  that  it  might  be  one  of  the  circular 
war-sandals  of  the  Tehua,  whose  tracks  he  had  noticed  from 
time  to  time,  which  the  owner  might  have  taken  off  and 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  331 

deposited  here.  There  was  no  doubt  that  the  enemy  must 
be  close  at  hand. 

Topanashka  had  no  thought  of  turning  back.  Flight  was 
very  difficult,  since  he  did  not  know  where  the  foe  lurked. 
To  wait  was  the  only  thing  to  be  done,  —  wait  until  night 
came,  and  then  improve  the  darkness  to  return  to  the  Rito 
in  safety.  But  what  of  the  all-important  council-meeting,  at 
which  he  was  compelled  to  assist?  Crouched  behind  the 
juniper-bush,  cautiously  peering  out  from  behind  it  now  and 
then,  the  old  warrior  pondered  over  the  situation.  At  last 
he  saw  what  to  do. 

Slowly  extending  his  feet  and  legs  backward,  he  little  by 
little  succeeded  in  laying  himself  flat  on  his  stomach.  He 
had  noticed  that  not  far  behind  him  there  was  another  and 
much  taller  bush.  Toward  this  bush  he  crept,  but  like  a 
crawfish,  feet  foremost.  Had  his  enemy  stood  otherwise 
than  in  a  line  with  the  first  shelter  which  Topanashka  had 
made  use  of,  he  would  surely  have  sent  an  arrow  during  this 
retrograde  performance.  He  continued  to  crawfish  until 
the  tall  bush  was  between  him  and  the  smaller  one.  Once 
covered  by  the  former,  he  raised  his  head  and  looked 
around. 

A  peculiar  stillness  reigned.  Not  a  breeze  stirred,  the 
sun  was  blazing  hot,  notwithstanding  the  long,  trailing  clouds 
that  traversed  the  sky. 

"  Kuawk,  kuawk,  kuawk !  "  sounded  the  cries  of  sev 
eral  crows,  as  they  flew  from  a  neighbouring  tree.  They 
went  in  the  very  direction  where  Topanashka  suspected  the 
Tehua  to  be,  and  alighted  on  a  pinon  in  that  neighbour 
hood.  The  old  man  glanced,  not  at  the  birds,  but  at  the 
trunk  above  which  the  crows  were  sitting.  It  was  not  thick 
enough  to  conceal  the  body  of  a  man,  and  about  it  the 
ground  was  bare.  If  there  had  been  anybody  hiding  there, 
the  cunning  and  mistrustful  birds  would  never  have  alighted 


332  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

The  maseua  took  this  into  consideration,  and  began  to 
doubt  the  correctness  of  his  former  conclusions.  Yet  it 
was  wiser  not  to  attempt  a  close  examination  of  the  sandal ; 
such  curiosity  might  still  lead  to  fatal  results. 

Like  an  old  fox,  Topanashka  determined  to  circumvent 
the  dangerous  spot,  by  describing  a  wide  arc  around  it. 
He  would  thus  meet  the  trail  farther  north,  and  be  able  to 
judge  from  signs  there  whether  or  not  the  Tehua  was  close 
upon  the  Rito.  First  he  would  have  to  crawl  backward 
until  he  was  at  a  sufficient  distance  to  be  out  of  sight 
altogether. 

This  movement  he  began  to  execute  in  his  usual  slow  and 
deliberate  manner,  crawfishing  until  he  felt  sure  that  he 
could  not  be  seen  from  the  point  where  the  crows  had  taken 
their  position.  Once  during  his  retreat  the  birds  fluttered 
upward,  croaking,  but  alighted  again  on  the  same  spot. 
Something  must  have  disturbed  them. 

Topanashka  arose,  straightened  himself,  and  moved  ahead 
as  noiselessly  as  possible.  He  maintained  a  course  parallel 
to  the  trail. 

The  old  man  considered  himself  now  as  being  in  the 
country  of  the  enemy  and  on  hostile  ground.  For  whereas 
he  was  in  reality  not  far  from  the  Rito,  still,  possibly,  he 
had  an  enemy  in  his  rear.  It  is  the  custom  of  a  warrior  of 
high  rank  in  the  esoteric  cluster  of  the  war  magicians,  ere 
the  trailing  of  an  enemy  begins,  to  pronounce  a  short 
prayer,  and  Topanashka  had  neglected  it.  His  indignation 
at  the  discovery  of  Shotaye's  misdeed  was  the  cause  of  this 
neglect.  Now  it  came  to  his  mind. 

"Kuawk,  kuawk,  kuawk!" 

A  crow  flew  overhead.  It  came  from  the  tree  where  the 
others  had  been  sitting,  or  at  least  from  that  direction. 

To  the  Indian  the  crow  is  a  bird  of  ill  omen.  Its  dis 
cordant  voice  is,  next  to  the  cry  of  the  owl,  regarded  as  the 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  333 

most  dismal  forewarning.  The  use  of  its  plumage  in  magic 
is  strongly  condemned.  Was  it  not  strange  that  those  har 
bingers  of  misfortune  so  persistently  followed  him,  and  that 
their  repulsive  croaking  always  interrupted  his  thoughts? 
Topanashka  resolved  to  make  good  on  the  spot  what  he 
had  omitted,  and  ere  he  moved,  to  pray. 

In  place  of  the  formula  which  the  warrior  recites  when  he 
is  on  the  track  of  an  enemy,  Topanashka  selected  another 
one,  spoken  upon  entering  dangerous  ground  where  enemies 
may  be  lurking.  It  seemed  to  him  that  the  latter  was 
oetter  adapted  to  the  occasion,  since  he  was  unarmed  and 
therefore  unable  to  fight  in  case  of  necessity.  He  still 
carried  with  him  the  same  fetich,  a  rude  alabaster  figure  of 
the  panther,  which  we  saw  dangling  from  his  necklace  on 
the  day  he  went  to  visit  the  tapop.  But  the  necklace  he 
had  left  at  home  this  time,  and  he  carried  the  amulet  in  a 
leather  satchel  concealed  under  his  wrap.  He  took  out  the 
wallet  and  removed  the  fetich  from  it.  To  the  back  of  the 
figure  was  fastened  a  small  arrow-head,  on  the  sides  a  tur 
quoise  and  a  few  shells  were  tied  with  strings  of  yucca  fibre. 

The  old  man  squatted  on  the  ground,  took  from  the 
same  satchel  a  pinch  of  sacred  meal,  and  scattered  it  to  tha 
six  regions.  Then  he  whispered,  — 

"  A-a.  Nashtio,  Shiuana,  Kopishtai !  Make  me  precious 
this  day,  even  if  the  land  be  full  of  enemies.  Let  not  my 
life  be  threatened  by  them.  Protect  me  from  them.  Let 
none  of  the  Moshome  go  across  this  line,"  he  drew  a  line 
in  the  sand  with  the  arrow-point,  "  give  me  protection  from 
them  !  Mokatsh,  Tyame,  Shiuana,  shield  my  heart  from  the 
enemy." 

While  pronouncing  the  latter  words  he  drew  three  more 
lines,  breathed  on  the  fetich,  placed  it  in  the  satchel  again, 
and  rose.  He  felt  strengthened,  for  he  had  performed  his 
duty  toward  the  Shiuana,  had  satisfied  Those  Above. 


334  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Kuawk,  kuawk,  kuawk  !  "  The  crow  soared  back  over 
his  head.  The  ugly,  ill-voiced  bird  !  Topanashka's  eyelids 
twitched  angrily;  he  was  amazed. 

He  resumed  his  walk,  or  rather  his  cautious,  gliding  gait, 
his  head  bent  forward,  all  his  faculties  strained  to  see,  to 
hear,  and  to  detect.  Frequently  he  would  stop,  hide  him 
self,  and  listen.  All  was  quiet  around  him,  for  even  the 
rrows  kept  silent  or  were  heard  in  the  distance  only. 

The  glare  of  the  sunlight  was  less  vivid,  the  afternoon 
was  on  the  wane.  The  late  hour  was  not  alone  the  cause 
sf  the  diminution  of  light ;  the  sun  was  shrouded  by  heavy 
masses  of  clouds.  With  the  waning  daylight  it  grew  cooler, 
a  faint  breeze  being  wafted  over  from  the  Rio  Grande. 

The  old  man  rightly  supposed  that  he  was  approaching 
the  trail  again  and  would  soon  strike  it.  The  canon  near 
which  he  had  surprised  Shotaye  and  her  ally  lay  some  dis 
tance  in  his  rear  and  to  the  right,  for  the  old  trail  crosses 
it  at  its  upper  end,  and  the  canon  bends  to  the  north. 
Topanashka  intended  to  reach  this  upper  terminus.  He 
expected  in  case  other  Tehuas  should  be  about,  that  they 
would  be  hidden  in  that  vicinity.  He  wanted  to  strike  the 
path  first,  and  survey  it,  if  from  a  distance  only,  then  keep 
on  again  in  a  line  parallel  to  its  course  until  it  crossed  the 
ravine.  Afterward  he  would  go  back  to  the  Tyuonyi,  if 
possible,  with  the  sandal  as  corroborative  evidence. 

He  almost  chided  himself  now  for  not  having  picked  up 
the  foot-gear.  The  more  he  reflected,  the  more  he  became 
convinced  that  his  suspicions  about  some  ambush  having 
been  prepared  by  means  of  the  sandal  were  groundless. 
The  crows  especially  seemed  to  be  a  sure  sign  of  it. 
That  bird  is  very  bold,  but  also  very  sly ;  and  had  a  war 
rior  or  any  human  being  been  in  concealment,  would 
never  have  selected  his  vicinity  for  a  place  of  comfortable 
rest.  Had  they  not  flown  away  as  soon  as  he  approached 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  335 

their  roosting-place  ?     And  yet  he  moved  very  slowly  and 
noiselessly. 

But  why  did  the  crows  so  persistently  follow  him  ?  What 
signified  their  restlessness,  their  loud  and  repeated  cries? 
It  boded  nothing  good.  The  black  pursuivants  either  fore 
told  or  intended  evil.  Were  they  real  crows  ? 

The  Indian  is  so  imbued  with  the  notion  of  sorcery  that 
any  animal  that  behaves  unusually  appears  to  him  either  as 
a  human  being  changed  into  an  animal,  or  some  spirit 
which  has  assumed  the  form  for  a  purpose.  That  purpose  is 
either  good  or  bad.  Owls,  crows,  and  turkey-buzzards,  also 
the  coyote,  are  regarded  as  forms  assumed  by  evil  spirits,  a 
by  men  under  the  influence  of  evil  charms.  The  more 
Topanashka  reflected  upon  the  conduct  of  the  birds,  the 
more  superstitious  he  became  concerning  them.  They  cer 
tainly  meant  harm.  Either  they  sought  to  allure  him  into 
danger,  or  they  indicated  the  presence  of  imminent  peril. 

Whatever  that  danger  might  be  and  wherever  it  might 
lurk,  the  man  thought  of  nothing  but  to  do  his  duty  under 
all  circumstances.  He  was,  after  all,  glad  that  he  had  not 
taken  up  the  sandal.  It  had  brought  him  as  far  as  he  was 
now,  and  he  considered  it  his  duty  to  go  to  the  bitter  end, 
and  find  out  everything  if  possible.  That  he  exposed  him 
self  more  than  was  really  necessary  did  not  enter  his  mind. 
He  failed  to  consider  that  if  he  were  killed,  nobody  would 
be  able  to  give  timely  warning  at  the  Rito,  and  that  the 
very  search  for  him  might  expose  his  people  to  the  danger 
which  he  was  striving  to  avert.  Death  had  little  terror  for 
him ;  it  was  nothing  but  the  end  of  all  pain  and  trouble. 

As  soon  as  Topanashka  believed  that  he  had  come  again 
into  proximity  of  the  path,  he  resumed  his  previous  methods 
of  locomotion ;  that  is,  he  began  to  crawl  on  hands  and  feet. 
The  timber  was  of  greater  density  here,  for  it  was  nearer 
the  foot  of  the  mountains. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

In  proportion  as  the  trees  become  taller  and  as  they 
stand  closer  together,  the  ground  below  is  freer  from  shrub 
bery,  and  may  be  scanned  from  a  certain  distance  with 
greater  ease.  Nevertheless  the  soil  is  more  rocky,  ledges 
crop  out  on  the  surface,  isolated  blocks  appear,  boulders, 
and  sometimes  low,  dyke-like  protuberances 

When  Topanashka  felt  certain  of  the  proximity  of  the 
trail,  he  scanned  the  ground  very  carefully.  It  was  still  flat, 
notwithstanding  some  rocky  patches.  The  shade  was  deep, 
and  as  far  as  the  eye  reached,  nothing  moved  ;  nothing  sus 
picious  was  seen,  nay,  nothing  that  bore  life,  except  the 
sombre  vegetation.  The  wind  increased  in  force ;  the  pines 
faintly  murmured  from  time  to  time ;  a  blast  penetrated 
beneath  them  to  the  surface  of  the  soil,  chasing  the  dry 
needles  in  fitful  whirls  or  playing  with  the  tall  bunch- 
grasses  that  were  growing  profusely  here. 

If  any  man  was  about  he  certainly  kept  outside  the  range 
of  vision.  So  the  old  man  reasoned,  and  he  began  to  creep 
toward  a  place  where  the  smoothness  of  the  rocks  indicated 
the  wear  and  tear  of  human  feet.  It  was  the  only  trace  of 
the  trail,  and  barely  visible.  As  he  approached  the  place 
he  knew  that  he  must  be  seen,  but  he  relied  upon  the 
fact  that  a  man  lying  flat  on  the  ground  is  very  difficult  to 
hit.  An  arrow  could  scarcely  strike  him,  and  in  no  case 
could  the  wound  be  other  than  slight,  for  the  shot  must 
come  from  a  distance,  as  there  was,  he  felt  certain,  no  one 
near  by. 

He  glided  like  a  snake,  or  rather  like  a  huge  lizard,  which 
crawls  over  obstacles,  and  whose  body  adapts  itself  to 
depressions  instead  of  crossing  or  bridging  them  over.  His 
cautious  progress  scarcely  caused  a  leaf  to  rustle  or  a  stone 
to  rattle,  and  these  noises  were  perceptible  only  in  the  vicin 
ity  of  where  they  were  produced.  So  he  pushed  himself 
gradually  close  up  to  a  ledge,  which,  while  of  indifferent 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  337 

height,  still  protected  his  body  somewhat.  On  this  ledge 
he  expected  to  notice  scratches  which  indicated  that  the 
trail  passed  over  it. 

It  was  as  he  suspected,  —  the  rock  was  slightly  worn  by 
human  feet ;  but  of  fresh  tracks  there  could  of  course  be  no 
trace  here,  for  only  long  and  constant  wear  and  tear,  and 
not  an  occasional  hurried  tread,  can  leave  marks  behind. 
But  Topanashka  noticed  a  few  fragments  of  rock  and  little 
bits  of  stone  that  lay  alongside  the  old  worn-out  channel. 
Without  lifting  his  head,  he  extended  his  arm,  grasped  some 
of  the  fragments,  and  began  to  examine  them. 

Loose  rocks  or  stones  that  have  been  lying  on  the 
ground  undisturbed  for  some  time,  always  have  their  lower 
surface  moist,  while  the  upper  dries  rapidly.  When  the 
yellowish  tufa  of  these  regions  becomes  wet,  it  changes 
colour  and  grows  of  a  darker  hue.  Topanashka  had  no 
ticed  that  some  among  the  stones  which  he  was  examining 
were  darker  than  the  others.  The  Indian,  when  he  exam-  ^ 
ines  anything,  looks  at  it  very  carefully.  One  of  the  frag-  , 
ments  was  darker  on  the  surface ;  of  this  he  felt  sure,  as 
when  he  removed  them  he  was  careful  to  keep  them  as  they 
lay.  Below,  the  piece  had  its  natural  colour,  that  of  dry 
stone.  He  assured  himself  that  the  darker  shade  really 
proceeded  from  humidity ;  it  was  still  moist.  The  fragment, 
therefore,  must  have  been  turned  over ;  and  that,  too,  a  very 
short  time  ago.  Only  a  large  animal  or  a  man  could  have 
done  this.  He  looked  closely  to  see  whether  there  were 
any  scratches  indicative  of  the  passage  of  deer-hoofs  or 
bear-claws,  but  there  were  none  except  those  that  appeared 
so  large  as  to  show  plainly  from  a  distance.  There  was 
every  likelihood,  therefore,  that  some  human  being  had  but 
very  lately  moved  the  stones,  and  not  only  since  the  rain  of 
last  night  but  since  the  surface  had  had  time  to  dry  again  ; 
that  is,  in  the  course  of  the  afternoon. 

22 


338  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

He  moved  his  body  forward  where  he  could  examine  the 
soil  alongside  the  ledge.  The  grass  was  nowhere  bent  and 
broken,  still  that  was  no  sufficient  indication.  There  at 
last  was  a  plain  human  track,  the  impression  of  a  naked 
foot  with  its  toe-marks  to  the  north,  and  the  impression 
was  fresh  !  But  the  Tehua  walked  on  round  sandals.  Had 
he  not  lost  one  of  them?  It  was  very  uncomfortable 
walking  on  one  of  the  circular  disks  only.  Topanashka 
rose  on  hands  and  feet  and  crept  farther,  regardless  of 
what  might  be  behind  him.  His  eyes  were  directed  north 
ward  and  he  relied  upon  his  ear  to  warn  him  of  danger 
in  the  rear. 

The  trail  lay  before  him  quite  distinct  fora  short  distance. 
Close  to  it  some  grasses  were  bent,  and  on  the  sandy  place 
near  by  there  was  a  print  as  if  from  a  small  hoop,  but  the 
impression  was  old  and  partly  blurred.  In  vain  did  the 
old  warrior  search  for  other  marks ;  the  rain  had  obliterated 
everything  except  this  faint  trace  that  might  originally  have 
been  plainer  because  deeper.  It  looked  as  if  the  wearer 
of  the  sandal  had  stepped  on  the  grass-bunch  with  the  fore 
part  of  his  foot,  slipped  back  lightly,  and  thus  pressed  the 
hind  part  of  the  hoop  deeper  into  the  soil.  In  that  case 
some  trace  of  the  heel-print  might  still  be  found.  And  in 
deed  a  very  slight  concavity  appeared  behind  the  impres* 
sion  of  the  sandal.  The  heel  was  turned  from  the  north, 
consequently  the  man  was  going  to,  not  coming  from  the 
Rito.  The  tracks  were  surely  old  ones. 

Everything  was  plain  now.  The  Tehua  had  lost  one  of 
his  sandals  and  was  returning  on  his  bare  feet.  But  why 
should  he  leave  it?  Why  did  he  not  take  it  along?  Even 
that  Topanashka  could  easily  explain.  People  from  the 
Rito  frequently  roamed  over  the  northern  mesa,  close  to  the 
Tyuonyi.  He  might  have  noticed  the  presence  of  some  of 
them,  and  have  fled  in  haste,  leaving  his  foot-gear  behind 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  339 

Most  likely  the  ties  or  thongs  had  given  way,  and  he  had  no 
time  to  mend  them.  That  was  an  evidence  also  that  the 
man  was  alone,  else  he  would  not  have  fled  with  such  pre 
cipitation.  Neither  was  he  in  this  vicinity  any  longer. 
Topanashka  felt  that  his  task  was  done ;  he  could  not  gain 
anything  by  proceeding  farther. 

"  Kuawk,  kuawk,  kuawk  !  "  sounded  overhead.  A  crow 
had  been  sitting  quietly  on  the  tree  above  him,  but  now  it 
flew  off  again,  the  unlucky  bird  !  Its  cry  startled  the  old 
man,  and  he  raised  his  head  to  look  after  the  herald  of  evil, 
following  him  with  his  eye.  All  was  still.  Then  he  rose  to 
his  knees. 

A  sharp  humming  twang,  a  hissing  sound,  and  a  thud  fol 
lowed  in  lightning-like  succession.  Topanashka  bends  over, 
and  at  the  same  time  tumbles  forward  on  his  face.  There 
he  lies,  the  left  cheek  and  shoulder  on  the  ground.  The 
left  arm,  with  which  he  has  sought  to  support  the  body,  has 
slipped ;  and  it  now  lies  fully  extended  partly  below  the 
head,  the  prostrate  head.  The  chest  is  heaving  painfully, 
as  if  under  extraordinary  pressure.  Face  and  neck  are 
colouring ;  the  lips  part ;  the  throat  makes  a  convulsive 
effort  to  swallow.  The  eyes  are  starting;  they  denote 
suffocation  and  terrible  pain.  The  legs  twitch ;  they 
seem  struggling  to  come  to  the  rescue  of  the  body's  upper 
half. 

From  the  back  of  the  old  man  there  protrudes  an  arrow- 
shaft.  It  has  pierced  it  close  to  the  spine,  between  it  and 
the  right  shoulder-blade,  penetrating  into  the  lungs,  where 
it  now  stabs  and  smarts. 

From  a  distant  tree-top  there  sounds  the  hoarse  "  kuawk, 
kuawk  "  of  the  crow.  Otherwise  all  is  still. 

The  wounded  man  coughs ;  with  the  cough  blood  comes 
to  his  lips,  —  light  red  blood.  The  thighs  begin  to  struggle 
as  if  formication  was  going  on  in  the  muscles.  It  is  an  im- 


340  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

potent  movement,  and  yet  is  done  consciously ;  for  the  trunk 
of  the  body,  which  was  beginning  more  and  more  to  yield, 
now  begins  to  turn  clumsily  backward ;  the  left  hand 
clutches  the  soil ;  the  arm  is  trying  to  heave,  to  lift.  But 
the  weight  is  too  heavy,  the  shaft  inside  too  firmly  and  too 
deeply  rooted.  Nevertheless  the  hips  succeed  in  rising ;  the 
trunk  follows ;  then  it  tumbles  over  on  the  back,  contracts 
with  a  moan  of  pain  and  suffering,  and  lies  there  trembling 
with  spasmodic  shivers. 

Topanashka  has  made  this  superhuman  effort  for  a  pur 
pose.  He  feels  that  his  wound  is  severe,  that  his  strength 
is  gone  ;  his  senses  are  darkened  and  his  thoughts  confused. 
Still  there  is  a  spark  of  life  left,  and  that  spark  demands 
that  he  should  attempt  to  see  whence  came  the  arrow  that 
so  terribly  lacerates  his  breast.  But  as  he  has  fallen  over 
heavily,  the  point  of  the  arrow  has  been  pressed  deeper. 
Flint  —  an  arrow-head  of  flint  with  notched  edges  —  tears  ; 
the  muscles  do  not  close  about  the  intruder.  The  blood 
flows  into  the  chest ;  it  fills  the  lungs ;  he  suffocates.  Yet 
all  consciousness  has  not  vanished,  although  pain  and  op 
pression  overwhelm  the  physical  instruments  of  conscious 
ness,  and  deprive  the  will  of  its  connection  with  its  tools. 
The  will  longs  to  see  him  who  has  destroyed  its  abode, 
but  it  no  longer  controls  the  shattered  tissues ;  the  nerves 
shiver  like  the  broken  springs  of  clockwork  ere  chey  come 
to  a  stand-still  forever.  The  eye  still  distinguishes  light 
occasionally,  but  it  cannot  see  any  longer. 

Weaker  and  weaker  become  the  breathings.  On  both 
sides  of  the  mouth  a  fold  begins  to  form  over  the  blood 
that  has  curdled  and  dried ;  new  fillets  stream  to  the  lips 
from  within.  The  legs  still  twitch  convulsively. 

Now  a  stream  of  blood  gushes  from  the  open  mouth  ; 
wave  after  wave  rushes  up  with  such  swiftness  that  bubbles 
and  froth  form  between  the  lips  and  remain  there.  A  chill 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  341 

pervades  the  whole  body ;  it  is  the  last  nervous  tremor ;  the 
lower  jaw  hangs  down,  showing  with  fearful  distinctness  the 
folds,  the  ghastly  folds,  of  death. 

All  is  still.  Through  the  tops  of  the  pines  comes  a 
humming  sound  like  a  chant,  a  last  lay  to  the  brave  and 
dutiful  man.  Still,  stark,  and  stiff  he  lies  in  his  gore.  His 
career  is  ended ;  his  soul  has  gone  to  rest. 

And  thus  all  remained  quiet  for  a  short  time.  Then  the 
grass  was  waved  and  shaken  in  the  direction  to  which  the 
old  man  had  turned  his  back  in  the  last  hapless  moment. 
The  grass  seemed  to  grow,  to  suddenly  rise ;  and  a  figure 
appeared  which  had  been  lying  flat  behind  a  projecting 
rocky  ledge.  As  this  figure  straightened  itself,  bunches  of 
grass  dropped  from  its  back  to  the  ground.  It  was  the 
figure  of  a  man. 

But  it  is  not  the  Tehua  Indian  who  stands  there  motion 
less,  with  bow  half  drawn  and  an  arrow  in  readiness,  who 
gazes  over  to  the  corpse  to  see  whether  it  is  really  a  corpse, 
or  whether  it  will  need  a  second  shaft  to  despatch  it  for 
ever.  The  man  is  of  middle  height,  raw-boned  and  spare. 
Shaggy  hair  bristles  from  under  the  strands  that  surround 
his  head  like  a  turban.  He  wears  nothing  but  a  kilt  of 
deerskin ;  from  his  shoulders  hangs  a  quiver ;  a  flint  knife 
depends  from  the  belt.  This  man  is  no  village  Indian,  not 
withstanding  that  dark  paint  on  his  body.  It  is  one  of  the 
hereditary  foes  of  the  sedentary  aborigines,  —  a  Navajo  ! 

He  is  eying  the  dead  body  suspiciously.  If  it  is  surely 
dead  the  second  arrow  may  be  saved.  Those  glassy  eyes ; 
that  sallow  face ;  and  the  fold,  the  ghastly  fold  that  runs  on 
both  sides  of  the  mouth,  of  that  mouth  filled  with  blood 
now  clotting,  —  they  show  that  life  is  gone. 

Still  the  savage  keeps  his  bow  well  in  hand,  as  with  head 
and  neck  extended  he  steals  forward  slowly,  mistrustfully 
approaching  his  victim.  When  he  is  close  to  the  body  his 


342  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

eyes  sparkle  with  delight  and  pride,  and  his  face  gleams 
with  the  triumph  of  some  hellish  spirit. 

He  touches  the  corpse.  It  is  warm,  but  surely  lifeless. 
He  grasps  at  the  wrap;  it  is  of  no  value  to  him,  al 
though  made  of  cotton.  Beneath,  however,  there  must  be 
something  that  attracts  his  attention,  for  he  quickly  tears 
off  the  scanty  dress  and  fumbles  about  the  chest  of  the 
\~  victim.  A  horrible  grin  of  delight  distorts  his  features,  al 
ready  hideously  begrimed,  for  he  has  found  the  little  bag 
and  takes  from  it  the  fetich  of  the  dead  man.  That  fetich 
is  a  prize,  for  with  it  the  magic  power  that  was  subservient 
to  the  victim  while  alive  now  becomes  the  victor's.  He 
handles  the  amulet  carefully,  almost  tenderly,  breathes  on  it, 
and  puts  it  back  into  the  bag.  Then  he  detaches  his 
stone  knife,  grasps  it  with  the  right  hand,  and  with  the  left 
clutches  the  gray  hair  of  the  dead  man  and  with  a  sudden 
jerk  pulls  the  head  up.  Then  he  begins  to  cut  the  scalp 
with  his  shaggy  knife-blade  of  flint. 

A  faint  whistling  sound,  as  of  some  one  hissing  near  him, 
is  heard ;  and  ere  he  looks  up  a  male  voice  by  his  side  has 
said,  — 

"  That  is  good,  very  good  !  "  The  words  are  spoken  in 
the  Dinne  language. 

The  murderer  looks  up,  staying  his  work  of  mutilation. 
By  his  side  there  stands  another  Navajo,  dressed,  painted, 
and  armed  like  himself. 

A  short  time  after  he  had  risen  from  his  hiding-place  and 
was  stealing  over  toward  the  body  of  his  victim,  this  other 
Navajo  had  appeared  in  sight.  He  watched  from  the  dis 
tance  his  companion's  proceedings,  and  as  he  recognized 
that  he  was  busying  himself  with  some  dead  body,  ap 
proached  rapidly,  though  without  the  least  noise.  He  dis 
covered  the  dead,  stood  still,  fastened  a  piercing  glance  on 
the  prostrate  form,  and  heaved  a  great  sieh  of  relief.  Not- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  343 

withstanding  the  paint  on  his  face  it  was  easy  to  see  how 
delighted  he  was  at  the  sight.  He  again  advanced,  not  un 
like  a  cat  which  is  afraid  to  go  too  near  another  that  is  play 
ing  with  a  mouse,  for  fear  of  being  scratched  or  bitten  by 
her.  But  when  unobserved  he  had  reached  the  Navajo, 
he  could  not  withhold  a  joyful  exclamation  that  startled  and 
interrupted  the  murderer.  He  asked,  — 

"  Dost  thou  know  who  that  is?  " 

The  other  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  That  is  Topanashka,  the  strong  and  wise  warrior.  That 
is  very,  very  good  !  " 

Navajo  number  two  looked  closely  at  the  corpse ;  then 
hi  grasped  the  hair  again  and  resumed  the  cutting. 
Number  one  touched  his  arm. 

"  Why  do  you  do  this?  "  he  asked. 

The  other  chuckled. 

"  Dost  thou  not  see  it,  Nacaytzusle,"  said  he  ;  "  the  peo 
ple  of  the  houses  know  that  we  only  take  a  lock  of  the  hair. 
If  now  they  find  the  body  and  see  that  this  "  —  he  pointed  to 
the  skin  —  "  is  gone,  they  will  think  it  is  one  of  those  up 
here"  —  waving  his  hand  to  the  north  —  "that  has  done 
it." 

Nacaytzusle,  for  he  was  indeed  the  second  Navajo, 
nodded  approvingly  and  suffered  the  other  to  go  on. 

Cutting,  scraping,  tearing,  and  pulling,  he  at  last  suc 
ceeded  in  making  a  deep  incision  around  the  skull.  Blood 
flowed  over  his  fingers  and  hands.  Then  he  grasped  the 
gray  hair,  planted  himself  with  both  feet  on  the  neck,  and 
pulled  until  the  scalp  was  wrenched  off  and  dangled  in  his 
fist.  Over  the  bare  skull  numberless  fillets  of  blood  began 
to  trickle,  at  once  changing  the  face  and  neck  of  the  dead 
into  a  red  mass.  Then  he  turned  to  the  other,  nodded,  and 
said,  — 

"  It  is  well." 


344  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Nacaytzusle  turned  his  eyes  upon  the  dead,  and  replied  io 
a  hoarse  voice,  — 

"  It  is  well." 

He  scanned  the  surroundings  suspiciously. 

"Thou  hast  done  well,  very  well,"  he  said  to  the  mur 
derer.  "Thou  art  strong  and  cunning.  This  one  "  —  he 
touched  the  body  with  his  toes  — "  was  strong  and  wise 
also,  but  now  he  is  so  no  longer.  Now,"  he  hissed,  "  we 
can  go  down  into  the  Tu  Atzissi  and  get  what  we  want." 

"What  dost  thou  mean,  Nacaytzusle?"  inquired  the  vic 
torious  Navajo. 

"  Go  thou  back  to  the  hogan,"  whispered  Nacaytzusle  to 
him,  "  and  tell  the  men  to  be  there,"  pointing  southwest- 
ward,  "  four  days  from  now.  I  will  be  there  and  will  speak 
to  them." 

The  other  nodded. 

"Let  us  go,"  said  he. 

They  moved  off  in  silence  without  casting  another  glance 
at  the  dead.  Their  direction  was  southwest.  They  care 
fully  avoided  making  the  least  noise  ;  they  spied  and  peered 
cautiously  in  every  direction,  shy,  suspicious.  Thus  they 
vanished  in  the  forest  like  wolves  sneaking  through  timber. 

Evening  had  set  in.  Stronger  blew  the  wind,  and  the 
top  of  the  pines  shook  occasionally  with  a  solemn  rushing 
sound  that  resembled  distant  thunder.  The  breeze  swayed 
the  grass,  the  blades  nodded  and  bowed  beside  the  remains 
of  the  brave  man  as  if  they  were  asking  his  forgiveness  for 
the  bloody  deed  of  which  they  had  been  the  innocent  wit 
nesses.  A  crow  came  up,  flapping  her  wings,  and  alighted 
on  a  tree  which  stood  near  the  corpse,  and  peered  down 
upon  the  body.  Then  she  croaked  hoarsely,  jumped  to 
a  lower  limb,  and  peered  again.  Thus  the  bird  contin 
ued  to  descend  from  one  branch  to  another,  croaking  and 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  345 

chuckling  as  it  were  to  herself.  At  last  she  fluttered 
down  to  the  ground,  a  few  paces  from  the  body,  peeped 
slyly  over  to  where  it  lay,  and  walked  toward  it  with  slow, 
stately  steps  and  eager  nods.  But  something  rattled  in  the 
distance ;  the  bird's  head  turned  to  the  east,  and  as  quick 
as  lightning  she  rose  in  the  air  and  flew  off  with  a  loud, 
angry,  "  kuawk,  kuawk,  kuawk  !  " 

Two  men  are  coming  toward  the  spot.  They  are  In 
dians  from  Tyuonyi  who  came  up  in  the  course  of  the 
afternoon  with  bows  and  arrows.  They  perceive  the  body, 
and  the  blood  on  it  and  around  it.  Both  stand  still,  terri 
fied  at  the  sight.  At  last  one  of  them  exclaims,  — 

"  It  is  one  from  the  Zaashtesh  !  " 

They  run  together  to  the  spot,  heedless  of  the  danger 
which  may  yet  be  lurking  about.  They  bend  over  the 
dead,  then  look  at  each  other  speechless,  confused.  At  last 
they  find  words,  and  exclaim  simultaneously,  — 

"  It  is  our  father,  Topanashka  Tihua  !  " 

"  It  is  sa  nashtio  maseua  !  " 

Both  men  are  young  yet,  they  weep.  Their  sorrow  is  so 
great,  in  presence  of  the  loss  sustained  by  them  and  by 
all,  that  they  forget  all  caution.  Had  the  Navajos  been 
about  still,  two  more  of  the  house-dwellers  would  have 
fallen. 

They  attempt  to  decide  what  is  to  be  done ;  their 
thoughts  become  confused,  for  the  terrible  discovery  dis 
tracts  them.  Little  by  little  they  become  conscious  that  it  is 
impossible  to  leave  the  body  here,  a  prey  to  the  wolves  and 
carrion  crows ;  that  it  must  be  brought  home,  down  into  the 
valley  where  he  was  so  beloved,  so  worshipped  almost,  by 
everybody.  Nothing  else  can  be  done. 

With  sighs  and  sobs,  stifled  groans  and  tears,  the  body 
is  raised  up,  one  supporting  the  head,  the  other  the  feet. 
Thus  they  drag  and  carry  it  along  on  the  old  trail  to  the 


346  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Rito.  Blood  clings  to  their  hands  and  to  their  dress. 
Never  mind.  Is  it  not  the  blood  of  a  good  man,  and  may 
not  with  that  blood  some  of  his  good  qualities  perhaps  pass 
into  them  ?  Not  a  word  is  spoken,  not  even  when  they  lay 
down  the  corpse  to  rest  themselves  a  while.  In  such  mo 
ments  they  stand  motionless,  one  by  the  mutilated  head,  the 
other  at  the  feet.  They  look  neither  at  each  other  nor  at 
it,  for  if  they  should  attempt  it  tears  would  be  sure  to  come 
to  their  eyes.  Without  a  word  they  lift  up  the  body  again, 
tenderly  as  if  it  were  a  child's,  and  on  they  go,  slowly, 
painfully,  and  silently. 

It  is  night  now,  and  the  forest  is  more  full  of  life.  The 
dread  voices  of  the  darkness  are  heard  around  them ;  coyo 
tes  howl  and  whine ;  in  the  distance  owls  hiss  and  shriek 
and  flit  from  tree  to  tree,  as  the  panting  men  approach. 
They  think  not  of  danger,  not  even  of  those  who  so  ruth 
lessly  slaughtered  their  great  and  good  maseua ;  on  they 
go  as  fast  as  the  heavy  load  permits  and  as  their  heavy 
hearts  afford  them  strength. 

Now  one  of  them  stumbles  and  falls,  and  as  he  rises  he 
notices  that  the  object  over  which  he  has  tripped  is  still 
clinging  to  his  foot.  He  cannot  see  what  it  is,  but  grasping 
it,  discovers  a  round  war-sandal,  over  which  he  has  stumbled, 
whose  thongs  have  remained  between  his  toes.  This  discov 
ery  he  communicates  to  his  companion.  With  fresh  vigour 
they  resume  their  dismal  march.  It  is  dark,  so  dark  that 
nothing  more  can  be  seen ;  nothing  more  is  heard  save  dis 
tant  thunder  and  the  discordant  voices  of  the  night  in  the 
forest.  Slowly  and  silently  they  proceed  homeward  with 
their  gory  but  precious  burden. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

LAMENTATIONS  over  a  dead  body  are  everywhere  a  sad  and 
sickening  performance  to  witness  and  to  hear.  Among  the 
aborigines  of  New  Mexico  —  among  the  sedentary  tribes  at 
least  —  the  official  death- wail  is  carried  on  for  four  days. 
The  number  four  plays  a  conspicuous  role  in  the  lives  of 
those  people.  And  it  is  natural  that  it  should.  Four  are 
the  cardinal  points,  four  the  seasons,  four  times  five  digits 
depend  from  hands  and  feet.  The  Queres  has  not  even  a 
distinct  term  for  finger  or  for  toe.  He  designates  the 
former  as  one  above  the  hand,  the  latter  as  one  above  the 
foot.  Four  days  the  redman  fasts  or  does  penance ;  four 
days  he  mourns,  for  that  is  the  time  required  by  the  soul 
to  travel  from  the  place  where  it  has  been  liberated  from 
the  thralls  of  earthly  life  to  the  place  of  eternal  felicity.  At 
the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking,  the  body  was  still 
cremated,  and  with  it  everything  that  made  up  the  personal 
effects  of  the  deceased.1  If  a  man,  his  clothes,  his  weapons, 
his  loom,  in  case  he  had  practised  the  art  of  weaving,  were 

burned ;  if  a  woman,  the  cooking  utensils  were  "  killed ; " 

•  j 

1  I  borrow  these  facts  from  Spanish  sources.  Both  Castafieda  and 
Mota  Padilla  mention  cremation  as  being  practised  in  the  sixteenth 
century  by  the  Pueblos.  The  latter  author  even  gives  a  detailed 
description.  Withal,  the  fact  that  the  Pueblos  also  buried  the  body 
is  more  than  abundantly  established.  Both  modes  of  burial  were 
resorted  to,  and  contemporaneously  even,  according  to  the  nature  of 
the  country  and  soil.  There  is  comparatively  little  soil  at  the  Rita 
The  mourning  ceremonies,  etc.,  I  have  witnessed  nyself. 


348  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

that  is,  either  perforated  at  the  bottom  or  broken  over  the 
funeral  pyre  and  afterward  consumed.  In  this  manner 
the  deceased  was  accompanied  by  his  worldly  goods,  in  the 
shape  of  smoke  and  steam,  through  that  air  in  which  the 
soul  travelled  toward  Shipapu,  in  the  far-distant  mythical 
North.  The  road  must  be  long  to  Shipapu,  else  it  would 
not  require  four  entire  days  to  reach  it ;  and  there  are 
neither  eating-places  nor  half-way  houses  on  the  way,  where 
the  dead  may  stop  for  refreshments.  Therefore  the  sur 
vivors  placed  on  the  spot  where  the  body  had  rested  for 
the  last  time  an  effigy  of  the  dead,  a  wooden  carving,  and 
covered  it  with  a  piece  of  cloth ;  while  by  the  side  of  this 
effigy  they  deposited  food  and  water,  in  order  that  neither 
cold,  hunger,  nor  thirst  might  cause  the  travelling  spirit  to 
suffer.  But  the  road  is  not  only  long,  it  is  also  dangerous ; 
evil  spirits  lie  in  wait  for  the  deceased  to  capture  him  if 
possible,  and  hamper  his  ultimate  felicity.  To  protect  him 
self  against  them  a  small  war-club  is  added  to  the  other 
necessaries,  and  to  render  the  journey  safe  beyond  a  doubt 
a  magic  circle  is  drawn,  encompassing  the  statuette  with  a 
circle  of  cruciform  marks,  imitating  the  footprints  of  the 
shashka,  or  road-runner.  As  these  crosses  point  in  all  four 
directions,  it  is  supposed  that  evil  spirits  will  become  be 
wildered  and  unable  to  pursue  the  soul  in  its  transit.  At 
the  end  of  the  fourth  day,  with  many  prayers  and  ceremo 
nies,  the  circle  is  obliterated,  and  the  other  objects,  in 
cluding  the  effigy,  are  taken  away  by  the  shamans  to  be 
disposed  of  in  a  manner  known  to  them  alone. 

During  the  period  of  official  mourning  the  loud  wail  was 
carried  on  incessantly,  or  at  least  at  frequent  intervals ; 
fasting  was  practised ;  the  women  wept,  sobbed,  screamed, 
and  yelled.  Both  sexes  gathered  daily  around  the  place 
where  the  effigy  lay,  praying  loudly  for  the  safe  journey  and 
arrival  at  Shipapu  of  the  defunct.  The  women  alone 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  349 

tears  on  such  occasiDns,  the  men  only  stared  with  a  gloomy 
face  and  thoughtful  mien.  They  recalled  and  remem. 
bered  the  dead.  What  the  great  master  of  historical 
composition  has  said  of  the  ancient  Germans  may  be 
applied  here  also :  "  Feminis  lugere  honestum  est,  viris 
meminisse." 

In  the  humble  abode  where  Topanashka  Tihua  had  dwelt 
with  his  deaf  old  wife,  and  where  his  bloody  remains  had 
rested  previous  to  being  borne  to  the  funeral  pyre,  his 
effigy  lay  covered  by  the  handsomest  piece  of  cotton  cloth 
that  could  be  found  among  the  homes  of  the  Rito,  and  a 
quaintly  painted  and  decorated  specimen  of  pottery  con 
tained  the  drinking-water  for  his  soul.  It  was  dusky  in  the 
room,  for  the  window  as  well  as  the  hatchway  afforded  little 
light.  Subdued  voices  sounded  from  the  apartment,  monot 
onous  recitals,  which  the  loud  refrain,  "  Heiti-na,  Heiti-na," 
at  times  interrupted.  The  poor  deaf  widow  sat  with  tearful 
eyes  in  a  corner ;  her  lips  moved,  but  no  sound  came  from 
them ;  only,  when  the  leader  of  the  choir  broke  out  with 
appropriate  gesticulations,  she  chimed  in  loudly.  When  at 
such  a  signal  the  other  women  present  began  to  tear  their 
hair,  she  did  the  same,  and  shouted  at  the  top  of  her  voice 
like  the  others,  "  Heiti-na,  Heiti-na  !  " 

Group  after  group  of  mourners  visited  the  room,  until 
both  clans,  Tanyi  and  Tyame,  had  performed  their  duty. 
Hannay,  too,  had  made  her  appearance;  she  had  shed 
tears  like  a  rain-cloud,  had  howled  and  whined  more  than 
any  one  else.  Her  grief  was  surely  assumed,  for  when 
Tyope  asked  her  in  the  evening  she  told  him  everything  in 
detail  that  she  had  noticed,  —  how  this  one  had  looked, 
how  such  and  such  a  one  had  yelled,  —  plainly  showing 
that  the  flood  of  tears  had  in  no  manner  impeded  her 
faculties  of  perception,  the  sighs  and  sobs  around  her  in  no 
manner  deafened  her  attentive  ear.  Tyope  listened  with 


350  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

apparent  indifference,  and  said  nothing.  She  attended  to 
the  weeping  part,  he  not  so  much  to  the  duty  of  pious 
recollection  as  to  that  of  deep  thinking  over  the  new  phase 
which  matters  had  entered  upon  in  consequence  of  the 
bloody  event. 

For  this  sudden  death  of  the  maseua  was  for  his  designs 
a  most  fortunate  occurrence.  The  only  man  who  in  the 
prospective  strife  between  the  clans  might  have  taken  an 
attitude  dangerous,  perhaps  disastrous,  to  his  purposes,  was 
now  dead ;  and  the  office  which  that  man  held  had  become 
vacant.  There  was  but  one  individual  left  in  the  tribe  who 
might  yet  prove  a  stumbling-block  to  him ;  that  was  the 
Hishtanyi  Chayan.  But  the  great  medicine-man  was  not  so 
much  a  man  of  action  as  a  man  of  words,  and  the  force  of 
his  oracular  utterances  Tyope  hoped  to  destroy  through  the 
powerful  speeches  of  the  Koshare  Naua  and  the  strong 
medicine  of  the  Shkuy  Chayan.  The  plans  of  Tyope  had 
been  immensely  furthered  by  the  terrible  accident ;  they  had 
advanced  so  much  that  he  felt  it  indispensable  to  modify 
them  to  some  extent.  Terror  and  dismay  were  great  at 
the  Rito,  and  the  council  had  been  adjourned  sine  die. 
There  could  be  no  thought  of  a  fresh  accusation  against 
Shotaye  until  the  four  days  of  official  mourning  were  past, 
and  the  campaign  against  the  enemy,  which  the  bloody 
outrage  imperatively  called  for. 

^  The  murder  by  the  Tehuas,  as  Tyope  and  the  others 
believed,  of  the  principal  war-chief  of  the  tribe,  at  a  time 
when  the  two  tribes  were  without  any  communication  with 
each  other,  was  too  great  an  outrage  not  to  demand  imme 
diate  revenge.  The  murder  could  not  have  been  the  result 
of  a  misunderstanding  or  accident,  else  the  scalp  would  not 
have  been  taken  by  the  murderer.  It  was  premeditated, 
an  act  of  deliberate  hostility,  a  declaration  of  war  on  the 
part  of  the  Tehuas.  The  dead  man's  scalp  had  certainly 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  351 

wandered  over  to  the  caves  of  the  northern  tribe ;  it  was 
certainly  paraded  there  in  the  solemn  scalp-dance  by  which 
the  Tehuas,  beyond  all  doubt,  publicly  honoured  and  re 
warded  the  murderer. 

Tyope  knew  that  the  Queres  were  of  one  mind  and  that 
the  official  mourning  alone  kept  them  from  replying  to  this 
act  of  unjustifiable  hostility  by  an  attack  upon  the  Puye, 
but  he  also  knew  that  as  soon  as  the  four  days  were  past  a 
campaign  against  the  Tehuas  would  be  set  on  foot.  The 
Hishtanyi  Chayan  had  retired  to  work,  and  that  meant  war  ! 
He  and  the  Shikama  Chayan  fasted  and  mourned  together ; 
their  mourning  was  not  only  on  account  of  the  great  loss 
suffered  by  the  tribe  in  the  person  of  the  deceased;  they 
bewailed  a  loss  of  power.  That  power  had  gone  over  into 
the  enemy's  ranks  with  the  scalp  of  the  murdered  man. 

Although  the  death  of  Topanashka  was  for  Tyope  an 
event  of  incalculable  benefit,  he  had  exhibited  tokens  of 
regret  and  sorrow.  His  manner  was  dignified ;  he  did  not 
mourn  in  any  extravagant  fashion,  but  conducted  himself 
so  that  nobody  could  suspect  the  death  of  the  old  man  to 
be  anything  else  than  a  source  of  regret  to  him.  Further 
more,  he  intended  by  his  own  example  to  foster  the  idea 
among  his  tribal  brethren  that  the  outrage  was  so  grave 
that  it  demanded  immediate  and  prompt  redress.  The 
carrying  out  of  this  redress  was  of  the  greatest  importance 
to  him.  The  sooner  it  was  executed  the  better  it  would 
suit  his  plans. 

During  the  last  interview  of  Tyope  with  the  young  Na- 
vajo,  the  latter  had  charged  him  with  having  asked  the 
Dinne  to  kill  the  old  maseua  during  an  incursion  which  his 
tribe  were  to  make  into  the  valley  of  the  Rito.  It  was  true 
that  Tyope  had  suggested  it,  but  he  had  not  told  the  Na- 
vajo  all  that  he  designed  through  this  act  of  treachery. 
His  object  was  not  merely  to  rid  himself  of  the  person  of 


352  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Topanashka;  he  sought  an  opportunity  of  becoming  the 
ostensible  saviour  of  his  tribe  in  the  hour  of  need.  If  the 
Dinne  had  made  the  premeditated  onslaught,  he  would, 
after  he  had  given  them  time  to  perform  the  murder,  have 
appeared  upon  the  scene,  driven  off  the  assailants,  and  thus 
recommended  himself  to  the  people  for  the  vacant  position 
of  war-chief.  The  game  was  a  double  one  on  his  part; 
first  he  was  to  betray  his  kinsfolk  to  the  Navajos,  and  sec 
ondly  to  turn  against  the  Navajos  in  defense  of  the  be 
trayed  ones.  Tyope  realized  that  it  was  a  very  dangerous 
game,  and  he  had  therefore  desisted  and  even  gone  so  far 
as  to  repel  the  young  Navajo  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life. 
As  matters  stood,  all  had  gone  far  better  than  he  ever 
hoped  for.  Without  complicity  on  his  part,  Topanashka 
had  been  put  out  of  his  way;  and  the  office  coveted  by 
L  Tyope  was  vacant.  An  important  military  enterprise  was 
to  follow  at  once.  Tyope  intended  to  go  on  this  cam 
paign  at  all  hazards,  in  order  to  distinguish  himself  as 
much  as  possible.  This  he  was  able  to  do,  for  he  possessed 
all  the  physical  qualities  necessary  for  a  powerful  Indian 
warrior,  and  he  was  very  crafty,  cunning,  bold  and  experi 
enced.  He  belonged  to  the  society  of  war  magicians,  and 
held  in  his  possession  most  of  the  charms  and  fetiches  used 
for  securing  invincibility.  There  was  no  doubt  in  his  mind 
that  he  would  return  from  the  war-path  crowned  with  glory 
and  with  scalps,  provided  he  was  not  killed.  Should  he 
return  alive,  then  the  time  would  come  for  him  to  set  the 
Koshare  Naua  to  work  to  secure  him  the  desired  position. 

nj 

Once  made  maseua  he  would  resume  his  former  plans,  push 
the  case  against  Shotaye  to  the  bitter  end,  and  try  to  divide 
the  tribe.  For  the  present  the  two  objects  had  to  be  set 
aside.  The  expedition  against  the  Tehuas  must  take  the 
lead  of  everything  else. 

While  Tyope  was  prompted,  by  the  grief  and  mourning 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  353 

that  prevailed,  to  display  fresh  activity  and  resort  to  netf 
intrigues;  while  at  the  same  time  his  wife  improved  the 
occasion  for  her  customary  prying,  listening,  and  gossip,  — 
their  daughter,  Mitsha,  on  the  other  hand,  really  mourned 
sincerely  and  grieved  bitterly.  She  mourned  for  the  dead 
with  the  candour  of  a  child  and  the  feeling  of  a  woman. 
When  she,  too,  had  gone  to  the  house  of  the  dead  to  pray, 
her  tears  flowed  abundantly ;  and  they  were  genuine.  The 
girl  did  not  weep  merely  on  account  of  the  deceased,  fol 
she  could  not  know  his  real  worth  and  merits ;  she  grieved 
quite  as  much  on  Okoya's  account.  The  boy  had  been  to 
see  her  every  evening  of  late.  He  was  there  on  the  night 
when  the  corpse  was  brought  home,  and  they  heard  the  wail 
and  rushed  out  on  the  roof.  At  that  moment  Hannay  had 
returned,  full  to  the  brim  with  the  dismal  news.  Okoya  for 
got  everything  and  returned  home,  and  Mitsha  went  back 
to  the  room  and  wept.  While  her  mother  proceeded  in 
her  account  with  noisy  volubility,  Mitsha  cried ;  for  Okoya 
had  often  spoken  of  his  grandfather,  telling  her  how  wise, 
strong,  and  good  sa  umo  maseua  was.  She  felt  that  the 
young  man  looked  up  to  him  as  to  an  ideal,  and  she  wept 
quite  as  much  because  of  her  feeling  for  Okoya  as  for  the 
murdered  main-stay  of  her  people. 

While  she  thus  mourned  from  the  bottom  of  her  heart, 
the  thought  came  to  her  how  she  would  feel  in  case  her 
father  was  brought  home  in  the  same  way.  Mitsha  was  a 
good  child,  and  Tyope  had  always  treated  her  not  only 
with  affection  but  with  kindness.  He  gave  her  many  pre 
cious  things,  as  the  Indian  calls  the  bright- coloured  peb 
bles,  shell  beads,  base  turquoises,  crystals,  etc.,  with  which 
he  decorates  his  body.  He  liked  to  see  his  daughter  shine 
among  the  daughters  of  the  tribe.  With  him  it  was  specu 
lation,  not  affection ;  but  Mitsha  knew  nothing  of  this,  and 
felt  that  in  case  her  parent  should  ever  be  borne  back  to 


354  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

this  house  dead,  and  placed  on  the  floor  before  her  covered 
with  gore,  she  must  feel  just  as  Okoya  felt  now.  And  yet 
the  dead  man  was  only  his  grandparent.  No,  it  was  not 
possible  for  him  to  be  as  sad  as  she  would  be  in  case 
Tyope  should  meet  with  such  a  fate.  And  then  she  won 
dered  whether  the  whole  tribe  would  regret  her  father's 
death  as  much  as  they  regretted  the  loss  of  Topanashka. 
Something  within  her  told  that  it  would  not.  She  had  al 
ready  noticed  that  Tyope  was  not  liked ;  but  why,  she  knew 
not.  Okoya  himself  had  intimated  as  much.  She  knew 
that  the  boy  shunned  her  father;  and  her  attachment  to 
Okoya  had  become  so  deep  that  his  utterances  began  to 
modify  her  feelings  toward  her  own  parents. 

If  she  would  sorrow  and  grieve  for  her  father's  loss,  if 
Okoya  was  mourning  over  his  grandfather's  demise,  how 
must  the  child  of  the  murdered  man,  of  such  a  man  as  To 
panashka,  feel  ?  His  only  child  was  a  woman  like  herself. 
A  true  woman  always  feels  for  her  sex  and  sympathizes  with 
other  women's  grief;  and  besides,  that  woman  was  the 
mother  of  the  youth  who  had  won  her  heart.  Okoya  had 
told  her  a  great  deal  about  his  mother,  —  how  good  she  was 
and  how  content  she  yas  to  see  him  and  her  become  one. 
The  girl  was  anxious  to  know  his  mother,  but  a  visit  to  a  pro 
spective  mother-in-law  is  by  no  means  an  unimportant  step. 
If  it  is  accompanied  by  a  present  it  bears  the  character  of 
an  official  acceptance  of  courtship.  That  step  Mitsha  was 
afraid  as  yet  to  take ;  it  was  too  early ;  there  were  too  many 
contingencies  in  the  way. 

Still  she  longed  to  go  to  Say  Koitza  now.  But  visits  of 
condolence  are  not  in  vogue  among  Indians  as  long  as  there 
is  loud  mourning,  except  at  the  house  where  the  mourning 
is  going  on.  How  much  Mitsha  would  have  given  to  be 
permitted  to  go  to  Say,  sit  down  quietly  in  a  corner,  and 
modestly  and  without  speaking  a  word,  weep  in  her  company. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  355 

At  the  same  time  she  felt  another  longing.  Since  the  night 
of  the  murder  Okoya  had  of  course  not  been  to  see  her,  and 
she  naturally  longed  to  meet  him  also  in  this  hour  of  sad 
ness  and  trial.  Once  when  she  had  gone  to  the  brook  for 
water,  Zashue  had  crossed  her  path;  but  he  looked  so 
dark  and  frowning  that  she  did  not  venture  even  to  greet 
him. 

It  was  the  last  day  of  mourning,  and  nearly  everybody  at 
the  Rito  who  could  or  ought  had  paid  his  respects  to  the 
dead.  The  Chayani  of  lesser  rank  alone  returned  from 
time  to  time  to  perform  specially  strong  incantations  in  aid 
of  the  still  travelling  soul.  Mitsha  had  gone  down  to  the 
brook  to  get  water.  It  occurred  only  once  a  day  during  these 
days,  for  the  people  of  Tyame  fasted,  taking  but  one  frugal 
meal  daily.  Everybody  was  very  careful  also  not  to  wash, 
and  Mitsha  herself  was  as  unkempt  as  any  one  else  of  her 
clan. 

Bearing  the  huashtanyi  on  her  head,  she  was  returning, 
when  as  she  passed  the  corner  of  the  big  house  her  eyes  dis 
covered  a  man  standing  with  his  back  turned  to  her,  gazing 
at  the  cliffs.  He  seemed  to  face  the  dwellings  of  the  Eagle 
clan.  As  the  girl  approached,  the  noise  of  her  step  caused 
him  to  turn,  and  she  recognized  Okoya. 

The  youth  stepped  up  to  her ;  his  eyes  were  hollow,  and 
now  they  became  moist.  He  attempted  to  control  himself, 
to  restrain  the  tears  that  were  coming  to  his  eyes  at  the  sight 
of  her ;  but  he  sobbed  convulsively.  When  she  saw  it  tears 
came  to  her  eyes  at  once.  The  two  children  stood  there,  he 
struggling  to  hide  his  grief,  for  it  was  unmanly  to  weep,  and 
yet  he  was  young  and  could  not  control  his  feelings ;  she, 
as  a  woman,  feeling  at  liberty  to  weep.  She  wept,  but 
silently  and  modestly.  It  grieved  her  to  see  him  shed 
tears. 

He,  too.  felt  for  her ;  but  it  was  soothingr  to  his  own  grief 


356  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

that  Mitsha  mourned.  He  too  was  longing  to  meet  her ;  th« 
four  days  of  separation  had  been  very  long  to  him. 

"He  was  so  good,"  Okoya  at  last  succeeded  in  saying 
Fresh  tears  came  to  his  eyes. 

Mitsha  merely  nodded  and  covered  her  face  with  a  cor 
ner  of  her  wrap. 

"  Have  you  been  to  him?  "  he  asked. 

She  nodded  ;  Okoya  continued,  — 

"  To-morrow  I  will  come  again." 

Eager  nods,  mingled  with  sobs  and  accompanied  by  rub 
bing  of  the  eyes,  were  her  reply.  The  nodding  proved  that 
his  call  would  be  very,  very  welcome.  She  uncovered  hei 
face,  her  eyes  beamed  through  tears,  and  she  smiled.  As 
sincerely  as  she  felt  her  grief,  the  announcement  that  he 
would  return  as  soon  as  the  mourning-time  was  over  made 
her  happy,  and  her  features  expressed  it.  She  went  her 
way  quietly,  Okoya  following  her  with  his  eyes. 

He  longed  to  say  to  her,  "  Come  with  me,  and  let  us  go 
together  to  my  mother ;  she  weeps  so  much."  But  it  could 
not  be ;  it  was  useless  to  mention  it.  About  his  mother 
Okoya  felt  deeply  concerned,  for  she  did  not  bear  her  grief 
as  the  others  bore  theirs.  She  was  not  noisy  like  the  rest. 
Utterly  oblivious  of  her  daily  task,  she  neither  cooked  nor 
baked  nor  cared  for  anything.  Her  husband  and  children 
had  to  go  hungry,  while  she  sat  in  a  corner  sobbing  and 
weeping.  It  was  indeed  a  blessing  for  her  that  she  was  able 
to  weep ;  otherwise  her  reason  might  have  given  way  under 
the  terrible  and  crushing  blow.  With  the  loss  of  her  father 
she  felt  as  if  lost  forever,  as  if  her  only  support,  her  only 
hope,  had  gone.  The  past  came  back  to  her,  not  like  an 
ugly  dream,  but  as  a  fearful  reality  threatening  sure  destruc 
tion.  Between  her  and  the  accusation  which  she  felt  cer 
tain  had  been  fulminated  against  her  before  the  council, 
there  stood  henceforth  no  one,  and  at  the  end  of  the  mourn- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  $$? 

ing  she  expected  to  be  dragged  before  the  council  at  once 
•and  condemned  to  death  !  And  what  sort  of  death  ?  Ex 
posed  to  public  wrath  as  a  witch,  bound  and  gagged,  tied 
to  a  tree,  with  the  rough  bark  lacerating  her  breast,  and  then 
beaten,  beaten  to  a  jelly,  rib  broken  after  rib,  limb  aftef 
limb,  until  the  soul  left  the  body's  wreck  under  the  curses 
of  bystanders.  Oh,  if  she  could  only  die  now  a  swift,  an 
honourable  death  like  that  of  her  father  ! 

If  she  could  only  have  seen  Shotaye  !  She  expected 
the  cave-woman  surely  to  come  down  to  cheer  her  up.  She 
felt  a  longing  for  her  friend,  a  desire  to  see  her,  to  hear  her 
voice.  But  day  after  day  ran  on,  night  after  night  followed, 
and  Shotaye  did  not  come.  It  did  not  surprise  her  that 
Shotaye  did  not  appear  on  the  first  day,  but  on  the  evening 
of  the  second  she  began  to  tremble.  When  the  night  of 
the  third  came,  her  apprehensions  became  distressing.  On 
the  fourth,  Shotaye  must  surely  come ;  expectation,  and 
finally  disappointment,  almost  tortured  to  death  the  poor 
woman,  for  Shotaye  came  not. 

Everything  seemed  to  conspire  to  render  her  hopelessly 
miserable.  She  lost  sight  of  her  surroundings,  grew  speech 
less,  and  almost  devoid  of  feeling.  The  others  explained  her 
state  as  one  of  profound  and  very  natural  grief,  and  let  her 
alone.  But  it  was  uncomfortable  in  the  house  when  the 
mistress  took  no  notice  of  anything,  and  did  not  even 
provide  the  most  necessary  things,  not  even  drinking-water. 
Therefore  Zashue,  as  well  as  Okoya,  preferred  to  go  out  of 
doors,  there  to  await  the  termination  of  the  disagreeable 
period  of  mourning  at  the  end  of  which  they  confidently 
expected  Say  to  return  to  her  normal  condition. 

After  he  had  separated  from  Mitsha,  Okoya  sauntered, 
without  really  knowing  whither,  up  the  gorge  and  down  the 
northern  side  of  the  cultivated  plots.  He  gradually  neared 
the  cliffs,  and  found  himself  beyond  the  dwellings  of  the 


358  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Water  clan,  and  therefore  beyond  the  uppermost  caves 
that  were  inhabited.  The  gorge,  narrow  and  covered 
mostly  with  underbrush  and  pines,  afforded  to  his  sight  but 
a  single  conspicuous  object,  and  toward  this  he  turned  at 
once. 

To  his  right  lay  some  caves  that  had  been  long  ago  for 
saken,  and  whose  front  wall  had  partly  crumbled.  Below 
the  short  slope  leading  up  to  them  are  the  traces  of  an  old 
round  estufa.  A  plain  concavity  in  the  ground  indicates  its 
site  to-day.  At  the  time  when  Okoya  strolled  about,  the 
roofing  alone  was  destroyed,  and  part  of  the  interior  was 
filled  with  blocks  of  stone  that  had  tumbled  from  the  cliffs, 
crushing  the  roof.  Okoya,  from  where  he  stood,  had  the 
interior  of  the  ruin  open  before  him,  and  he  saw  in  it, 
partly  sitting  and  partly  reclining,  the  figure  of  his  friend 
Hayoue.  It  was  a  welcome  discovery. 

He  had  not  met  Hayoue  since  the  death  of  his  grand 
father,  for  the  brother  of  Zashue  had  avoided  the  great 
house  and  its  inmates  on  purpose.  He  mourned  earnestly 
and  sincerely,  and  wished  to  be  alone  with  his  thoughts. 
But  Okoya  was  not  disposed  to  let  him  alone.  He  knew 
that  if  his  uncle  spoke  to  any  one  he  would  speak  to  him, 
and  that  if  he  felt  indisposed  to  enter  into  any  conversation 
he  would  say  so  at  once.  Hayoue  was  very  outspoken. 

The  boy  jumped  down  from  block  to  block  noisily,  for 
he  wanted  to  attract  his  uncle's  attention  beforehand.  The 
latter  looked  up.  As  soon  as  he  saw  who  the  disturber 
of  his  musings  was,  he  waved  his  hand,  beckoning  him  to 
come.  Okoya  obeyed  with  alacrity,  for  he  saw  that  Hayoue 
felt  disposed  to  talk.  Throwing  himself  down  beside  him 
he  waited  patiently  until  the  other  saw  fit  to  open  the  con 
versation.  They  both  remained  for  a  while  in  silence,  until 
Hayoue  heaved  a  deep  sigh  and  said,  — 

"  Does  Zashue,  my  brother,  mourn  also  ?  " 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  359 

"Not  as  we  do,"  replied  Okoya;  "yet  he  is  sad." 

"  It  is  well.  He  is  right  to  feel  sad.  Sad  for  himself, 
for  you,  for  all  of  us." 

"  Sa  umo  was  so  good,"  whispered  the  boy,  and  tears 
came  to  him  again;  but  he  controlled  his  feelings  and 
swallowed  his  sobs.  He  did  not  wish  the  other  to  see 
him  weep. 

"  Indeed  sa  umo  maseua  was  good, "  Hayoue  empha 
sized,  "  better  than  any  of  us,  truer  than  any  of  us  !  None 
of  us  at  the  Tyuonyi  is  as  strong  and  wise  as  he  was." 

"  How  could  the  Moshome  kill  him,  if  he  was  such  a 
great  warrior,"  Okoya  naively  inquired. 

"  See,  satyumishe,  he  was  struck  from  behind.  In  this 
way  a  Moshome  may  kill  a  bear,  and  so  yai  shruy  destroys 
the  strongest  mokatsh.  Sa  umo  had  no  weapons,  neither 
bow  nor  arrow  nor  club.  He  did  not  suppose  that  there 
were  any  Moshome  lurking  about  as  tiatui  lies  in  wait  for 
the  deer.  Had  sa  nashtio  gone  south  or  toward  the  west, 
he  would  have  carried  what  was  right,  but  over  there,"  —  he 
pointed  northward,  —  "  who  would  have  believed  the  people 
over  there  to  be  so  mean  as  these  shuatyam  of  Tehuas  now 
prove  to  be  ?  Destruction  come  upon  them  !  "  He  spoke 
very  excitedly,  his  eyes  flashed,  and  he  gnashed  his  teeth. 
Shaking  his  clenched  fist  at  the  north,  he  hissed,  "  And  de 
struction  will  come  upon  them  soon  !  We  shall  go  to  Kapo 
and  come  back  with  many  scalps.  We  will  not  get  one 
only,  and  crawl  back,  as  shutzuna  does  after  he  has  stolen  a 
turkey.  We  shall  go  soon,  very  soon  !  " 

Okoya  yielded  to  the  excitement  which  the  latter  part  of 
his  friend's  speech  bespoke.  His  eyes  sparkled  also,  and 
his  chest  heaved  at  the  mention  of  blood. 

"  Satyumishe,"  he  exclaimed,  "  let  us  go,  I  and  you 
together.  Let  us  go  and  get  what  may  please  our  father's 
heart !  " 


360  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Hayoue  looked  at  him ;  it  was  an  earnest  and  significant 
look. 

"  You  are  right,  brother.  You  are  wise  and  you  are 
good.  You  also  know  how  to  hit  with  an  arrow,  but  you 
are  not  uakanyi." 

"  But  I  shall  be  one,  if  I  go  with  you,"  boldly  uttered  the 
boy. 

His  uncle  shook  his  head,  and  smiled. 

"  Don't  you  know,  sa  uishe,  that  every  one  cannot  go  with 
the  warriors,  when  they  go  on  the  war-path?  Every  one 
cannot  say,  '  I  am  going,'  and  then  go  as  he  pleases  and 
when  he  pleases.  Every  one  cannot  think,  'I  am  strong 
and  wise,  and  I  will  follow  the  enemy.'  If  the  Shiuana  do 
not  help  him,  the  strongest  is  weak,  and  the  wisest  is 
a  child  before  the  foe.  See,  satyumishe,  I  am  as  good  a 
uakanyi  as  any  one,  but  I  do  not  know  whether,  when  the 
Hishtanyi  Chayan  says  in  the  uuityam  which  men  shall  go 
and  take  from  the  Tehuas  what  is  proper,  I  may  go  with 
them.  Perhaps  I  shall  have  to  stay,  and  some  other  on< 
will  go  in  my  stead." 

"Must  not  all  go?"  Okoya  asked;  he  was  astonished 

"  Every  one  must  go  whom  the  maseua  chooses."  With 
a  sad  expression  he  added,  "Our  maseua  is  no  more,  and 
ere  the  Hotshanyi  has  spoken  to  the  yaya  and  nashtio,  and 
said  to  them,  *  such  and  such  a  one  shall  be  maseua,'  it  is  the 
Hishtanyi  Chayan  who  decides  who  shall  go  and  who  shall 
stay  at  home." 

His  nephew  comprehended  ;  he  nodded  and  inquired,  —  • 

"  Does  not  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  fast  and  do  penancs 
now?" 

"  Our  nashtio  yaya,"  Hayoue  replied  with  an  important 
and  mysterious  mien,  "  has  much  work  at  present  " 

"Do  you  know  what  he  is  working?"  naively  asked 
Okova- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  361 

"He  is  with  Those  Above." 

The  reply  closed  the  conversation  on  that  subject.  Okoya 
changed  the  topic,  asking,  — 

"  Satyumishe,  you  are  not  much  older  than  I.  How 
comes  it  that  you  are  uakanyi  already?" 

Hayoue  felt  quite  flattered.  He  was  indeed  very  young 
for  a  war  magician,  and  he  felt  not  a  little  pride  on  account 
of  it.  Assuming  a  self-satisfied  and  important  air,  he  turned 
to  his  nephew  with  the  query,  — 

"  When  you  go  out  hunting,  what  is  the  first  thing  you 
do?" 

"  I  take  my  bow  and  arrow  and  leave  the  house,"  readily 
answered  the  boy. 

"  This  is  not  what  I  ask  for,"  growled  Hayoue.  "  What 
kind  of  work  do  you  do  ere  you  rise  to  the  kauash?  " 

The  boy  understood  at  last. 

"  I  place  the  stone,  and  speak  to  Those  Above." 

"  If  before  you  go  hunting  you  do  not  speak  to  them,  are 
you  lucky?  " 

"  No,"  Okoya  mumbled.  He  recalled  the  unlucky  tur 
key-hunt  of  some  time  ago,  when  he  had  forgotten  to  say  his 
prayers  before  starting,  of  which  we  have  spoken  in  the  first 
chapter. 

"Why  have  you  no  luck?"  Hayoue  further  asked. 

"  Because  the  Shiuana  are  not  satisfied,"  replied  the 
other.  His  uncle  nodded. 

"Are  you  a  hunter?"  he  asked. 

"  Not  yet,  I  am  only  learning." 

"  Why  do  you  learn  ?  " 

"  In  order  to  know." 

"  When  you  once  know,,  what  can  you  do  then  ?  " 

"  I  can  —  "  Okoya  was  embarrassed.  "  I  can  make  the 
Shiuana  help  me." 

"  That  is  it !  "  Hayoue  exclaimed.     "  If  the  Shiuana  da 


362  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

not  help,  you  can  do  nothing ;  no  matter  how  swift  you  run, 
how  far  you  see,  and  how  sure  your  aim  is.  But  of  the 
Shiuana  there  are  many,  as  many  as  grains  of  sand  on  the 
shore  of  the  great  river  below  here,  and  when  we  do  not 
know  them  we  cannot  speak  to  them  and  beg  for  assist 
ance.  Just  as  there  are  Shiuana  who  assist  the  hunter,  there 
are  those  who  help  us,  that  we  may  strike  the  enemy  and 
take  away  from  him  what  makes  him  strong,  that  it  may 
strengthen  us.  Look  at  Tyame,  the  nashtio  of  Tzitz  ha- 
nutsh ;  he  is  swift  and  strong,  but  he  knows  not  how  to  call 
to  Those  Above  and  around  to  help  him  take  the  scalp  of 
the  Moshome.  We  must  be  wise,  and  listen  to  what  those 
speak  who  know  how  to  address  the  Shiuana,  and  what  to 
give  them.  We  must  learn  in  order  to  act.  I  have  learned, 
and  thus  I  have  become  uakanyi.  And  he  who  will  soon 
be  where  in  time  we  also  shall  find  rest,  —  he  taught  me 
many  things.  He  was  good  and  wise,  very  good,  our  father 
the  maseua,"  he  added,  sighing  deeply. 

"Will  you  help  me  to  learn  and  become  uakanyi?" 
Okoya  turned  to  him  now  with  flashing  eyes. 

"  I  will,  surely  I  will.  You  shall  become  one  of  us.  But 
you  know,  brother,  that  you  must  be  silent  and  keep  your 
tongue  tied.  You  must  not  say  to  this  or  that  one,  *  I  am 
learning,  I  have  learned  such  and  such  things,  for  I  am 
going  to  become  uakanyi.'  " 

Okoya  of  course  assented.     Then  he  asked,  — 

"  I  am  not  uakanyi,  and  can  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  tell  me 
to  go  along  too  with  the  men  to  strike  the  Tehuas?  " 

"Certainly,  for  there  are  not  many  of  us,  and  in  the 
Zaashtesh  all  must  stand  up  for  each,  and  each  for  all.  But 
when  many  go  on  the  war-path  there  are  always  some  of  us 
with  them  in  order  that  the  Shiuana  be  in  our  favour." 

"  Do  the  Shiuana  help  the  Tehuas  also  ?  For  the  Tehuas 
are  people  like  ourselves,  are  they  not?" 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  363 

"  They  are  indeed  Zaashtesh,  like  the  Queres.  But  I  do 
not  know  how  the  Shiuana  feel  toward  them.  Old  men 
who  knew  told  me  that  the  Moshome  Tehua  prayed  to 
Those  Above  and  around  us,  and  that  they  call  them  Ohua. 
Whether  they  are  the  same  as  ours  I  cannot  tell ;  but  I 
cannot  believe  them  to  be ;  for  the  kopishtai  who  dwell 
over  there  must  be  good  to  their  people,  whereas  the 
kopishtai  here  are  good  to  us.  Only  those  who  hold  in 
their  hands  the  paths  of  our  lives  help  those  who  do 
right  and  give  them  what  is  due,  wherever  and  whoever 
they  be/' 

"  How  soon  shall  we  go  against  the  Tehuas  ?  " 

"The  Yaya  Chayan  and  the  uishtyaka  perhaps  alone 
know  that.  As  soon  as  the  Hishtanyi  has  done  his  work 
he  will  call  the  uuityam,  and  then  those  shall  go  that  must 
Perhaps  I  may  go,  perhaps  not.  It  may  be  that  both  of  us 
will  be  sent  along.  But  we  will  go  soon,"  he  fiercely  mut 
tered,  "  soon,  to  take  from  the  Tehuas  what  is  precious  to 
the  heart  of  our  father,  who  now  goes  toward  Shipapu." 

Okoya  felt  wildly  excited  and  could  barely  restrain  him 
self.  Thirst  for  revenge  joined  the  intense  wish  to  become 
a  warrior.  But  Hayoue's  placed  a  damper  on  his  enthusi 
asm,  else  he  might  have  left  that  night  alone,  with  bow 
and  arrow  and  a  stone  knife,  to  hover  about  the  Puye  until 
some  luckless  Tehua  fell  into  his  hands.  He  saw,  however, 
that  nothing  could  be  done  without  the  consent  and  support 
of  the  higher  powers,  and  that  he  must  curb  his  martial 
ardour  and  abide  by  the  decisions  of  Those  Above.  The 
present  topic  of  conversation  being  exhausted,  both  sat  in 
silence  for  a  while,  each  following  his  own  train  of  thoughts. 
Okoya  was  the  first  to  speak  again. 

"  Does  your  hanutsh  mourn  ?  " 

"  The  women  have  gone  to  weep  with  the  dead,"  replied 
Hayoue.  "I  too  am  mourning,"  he  added  sorrowfully; 


364  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  but  I  mourn  as  is  becoming  to  a  man.     Crying  and  weep 
ing  belong  only  to  women." 

"  I  have  cried,"  whispered  Okoya  timidly,  as  he  looked  at 
his  friend  with  a  doubting  glance.  He  was  ashamed  of  the 
confession,  and  yet  could  not  restrain  himself  from  making 
it.  Hayoue  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  You  are  young,  satyumishe,  and  your  heart  is  young.  It 
is  like  the  heart  of  a  girl.  When  you  have  seen  many  dead 
men  and  many  dying,  you  will  do  as  I  do,  —  you  will  not  cry 
any  more."  He  coughed,  and  his  face  twitched  nervously; 
with  all  his  affectation  of  stoicism  he  had  to  struggle 
against  tears.  In  order  to  suppress  them  completely  he 
spoke  very  loudly  at  once,  — 

"  Tzitz  hanutsh  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  dead,  and  yet 
the  women  lament  and  its  men  think  over  the  loss  that  the 
tribe  has  sustained.  I  tell  you,  Okoya,  we  have  lost  much ; 
we  are  like  children  without  their  mother,  like  a  drove 
of  turkeys  whose  gobbler  tiatui  or  mokatsh  have  killed. 
Now,"  —  his  eyes  flashed  again  and  he  gnashed  his  teeth,  — 
"  now  Tyope  and  the  old  Naua  are  uppermost.  Just  wait 
until  the  men  have  returned  from  the  war-path,  and  you  will 
see.  Evil  is  coming  to  us.  Did  you  notice,  satyumishe, 
on  the  night  when  they  carried  sa  nashtio  maseua  back  to 
the  Tyuonyi  how  angry  the  Shiuana  were ;  how  the  light 
ning  flamed  through  the  clouds  and  killed  the  trees  on  the 
mesa?  I  tell  you,  brother,  evil  is  coming  to  our  people,  for 
a  good  man  has  gone  from  us  to  Shipapu,  but  the  bad  ones 
have  been  spared." 

Okoya  shuddered  involuntarily.  He  recollected  well  that 
awful  night.  Never  before  had  a  storm  raged  on  the  Rito 
with  such  fury.  Frightful  had  been  the  roar  of  the  thun 
der,  prolonged  like  some  tremendous  subterranean  noise. 
Incessant  lightning  had  for  hours  converted  night  into  day, 
and  many  were  the  lofty  pines  that  had  been  shattered  or 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  365 

consumed  by  the  fiery  bolts  from  above.  The  wind,  which 
seldom  does  any  damage  at  such  places,  had  swept  through 
the  gorge  and  over  the  mesas  with  tremendous  force,  and 
lastly  the  peaceful,  lovely  brook,  swollen  by  the  waters  that 
gushed  from  the  mountains  in  torrents,  as  well  as  by  the 
rain  falling  in  sheets,  had  waxed  into  a  roaring,  turbid 
stream.  It  had  flooded  the  fields,  destroying  crops  and 
spreading  masses  of  rocky  debris  over  the  tillable  soil. 
Yes,  the  heavens  had  come  upon  the  Rito  in  their  full 
wrath,  as  swift  and  terrible  avengers.  Both  of  them  re 
membered  well  that  awful  night,  and  dropped  into  moody 
silence  at  the  dismal  recollection. 

"Are  there  any  other  bad  men  at  the  Tyuonyi?  "  Okoya 
asked ;  but  low,  as  if  he  were  afraid  of  the  answer. 

"  There  may  be  others,"  Hayoue  muttered,  "  but  those 
two  are  certainly  the  worst." 

Okoya  felt  disappointed ;  Tyope,  he  saw,  must  indeed  be 
a  bad  creature. 

"  Do  you  know  whether  Tyope  is  mourning?  "  asked  his 
uncle. 

"  I  have  not  seen  him,"  grumbled  the  other. 

"I  am  sure  he  will  look  as  if  his  mother  had  died," 
scolded  Hayoue.  "  He  is  a  great  liar,  worse  than  a  Na- 
vajo.  He  puts  on  a  good  face  and  keeps  the  bad  one 
inside.  I  would  like  to  know  what  the  Shiuana  think  of 
that  bad  man." 

"  Have  we  any  bad  women  among  us?  "  Okoya  said,  to 
change  the  conversation. 

"  Hannay  is  bad  !  "  his  uncle  cried. 

A  pang  went  through  the  heart  of  the  other  youth.  His 
prospective  father  and  mother  in-law  appeared  really  a  pair 
of  exquisite  scoundrels. 

"Are  there  any  others?  " 

"I   don't   know,   still   I  have  heard."    Hayoue   looked 


366  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

about  as  if  afraid  of  some  eavesdropper,  —  "  what  I  tell  you 
now  is  only  for  yourself,  —  that  Shotaye  is  bad,  very  bad  ! 
After  being  Tyope's  wife  for  a  while,  I  should  not  be  sur 
prised  if — " 

"  Does  she  speak  to  those  that  can  do  us  harm?  "  Okoya 
interrupted  in  a  timid  whisper. 

"  It  may  be.  There  is  no  doubt  but  she  is  a  harlot ;  I 
know  it  myself,  and  every  man  on  the  Tyuonyi  knows  it. 
Other  women  are  also  spoken  of,  but  nobody  says  it  aloud. 
It  is  not  right  to  speak  thus  of  people  when  we  do  not 
know  positively.  I  have  not  seen  Shotaye  since  our  father 
died.  She  is  mourning  perhaps,  for  her  cave  is  shut  and 
the  deerskin  hangs  over  the  doorway.  She  is  likely  to  be 
inside  in  quiet  until  the  trouble  is  over  and  the  men  can 
go  to  her  again." 

Okoya  rose  to  go. 

"  Are  you  coming  along?  "  he  asked  his  uncle. 

Hayoue  shook  his  head ;  he  still  wished  to  remain  alone. 

"  It  may  be,"  he  said,  "  that  we  shall  have  to  leave  in 
two  days  against  the  Tehuas,  and  I  shall  remain  so  that  I 
may  be  ready  when  the  tapop  calls  upon  us.  You  rely 
upon  it,  satyumishe,  we  shall  go  soon,  and  when  it  so 
happens  that  we  both  must  go  you  shall  come  with  me  that 
I  may  teach  you  how  the  scalp  is  taken." 

Thus  dismissed,  Okoya  sauntered  back  down  the  valley. 

When  opposite  the  caves  of  the  Water  clan  he  furtively 
glanced  over  to  the  one  inhabited  by  Shotaye.  The  deer 
skin,  as  Hayoue  had  stated,  hung  over  the  opening,  and  no 
smoke  issued  from  the  hole  that  served  as  vent  and  smoke- 
escape.  The  woman  must  be  mourning  very  deeply,  or 
else  she  was  gone.  She  did  not  often  enter  his  thoughts, 
and  yet  he  wished  Shotaye  might  come  now  and  see  his 
mother.  He  was  convinced,  without  knowing  why,  that  his 
mother  wo'^d  have  been  glad  to  see  her. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  367 

At  all  events  the  dismal  period  of  mourning  was  drawing 
rapidly  to  a  close,  and  with  it  official  sadness  would  vanish. 
He  could  hardly  await  the  morrow.  On  that  day  he  hoped 
that  the  question  would  be  decided  when  the  great  work  of 
revenge  should  commence  and  whether  he  would  be  per 
mitted  to  take  part  in  it.  The  words  of  his  uncle  had 
opened  an  entirely  new  perspective  to  Okoya.  To  become 
uakanyi  was  now  his  aim,  his  intense  ambition.  As  war 
rior,  and  as  successful  warrior,  he  confidently  expected  that 
no  one  would  dare  refuse  him  Mitsha.  This  hope  over 
came  the  grief  he  had  harboured  during  the  days  that 
elapsed,  for  that  grief  belonged  to  the  past ;  and  as  the  past 
now  appeared  to  him,  it  seemed  only  a  stepping-stone  to  a 
proud  »nd  happy  future. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

OKOYA  had  been  correct  in  his  surmise  that  Shotaye  was 
gone.  In  vain  Say  Koitza  pined ;  her  friend  had  left  never 
to  return. 

When  the  news  of  Topanashka's  death  reached  her,  which 
it  did  on  the  very  night  of  the  occurrence,  she  saw  at  a 
glance  that  henceforth  her  presence  among  the  Queres  was 
an  impossibility,  for  she  knew  that  the  deceased  was  the 
only  one  who  could  interpose  himself  between  Say  Koitza 
and  her  enemies,  and  thus  wield  an  influence  indirectly  fa 
vourable  to  herself.  She  recognized  that  henceforth  Tyope 
was  free  to  act  as  he  pleased  in  the  matter,  for  the  medicine 
men  would  be  on  his  side.  And  she  saw  that  the  days  of 
mourning  that  were  sure  to  follow  afforded  her  a  capital 
opportunity  for  leaving  the  Rito  unobserved,  and  executing 
her  flight  to  the  Tehuas  of  the  Puye. 

Shotaye  could  not  believe  that  Cayamo  was  the  slayer  of 
Topanashka.  Her  warrior  from  the  north  was  in  too  great 
a  hurry  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  pursuing  Navajos.  He 
was  too  anxious  to  save  the  scalp  he  had  taken.  Even  in 
case  Topanashka  had  overtaken  him,  which  seemed  impos 
sible,  the  Tehua  would  have  avoided  rather  than  attacked 
the  unarmed  old  man.  And  if  the  maseua  surprised  their 
interview  and  followed  her  knight,  the  latter  had  too  much 
vantage-ground  to  be  ever  overtaken  by  his  aged  and  un 
armed  pursuer.  The  fact  that  the  sandal  had  been  found, 
Shotaye  interpreted  as  evidence  of  Cayamo's  precipitate 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  369 

flight.  From  her  stand-point  she  reached  the  very  correct 
conclusion  that  the  Navajos  who  followed  in  Cayamo's 
tracks,  and  not  the  Tehua,  must  have  killed  the  father  of 
her  friend  Say. 

But  she  saw  that  her  people  would  fall  into  error  as  to 
the  manner  of  Topanashka's  death.  She  saw  that  they 
could  not  have  reached  a  different  conclusion,  and  also 
that  the  error  must  call  forth  extraordinary  measures  of 
revenge.  She  heard  enough  and  saw  enough,  during  the 
commotion  prevailing  at  the  Rito  when  the  dead  body  was 
brought  in,  to  become  convinced  that  as  soon  as  th<e 
mourning  ceremonies  were  over  the  Queres  would  take 
the  war-path  against  the  supposed  murderers  of  their  war- 
chief.  She  took  care  not  to  disabuse  the  minds  of  any  o.i 
her  tribal  brethren,  and  said  nothing,  but  felt  glad  at  the 
opportunity  which  the  proposed  campaign  would  give  hei 
for  revenge. 

Flight  to  the  Tehuas  was  not  only  very  easy,  it  could  be  " 
executed  under  circumstances  that  would  give  her  among 
the  other  tribe  a  position  of  considerable  importance.  It 
was  almost  needless  to  avail  herself  of  the  understanding 
with  Cayamo ;  she  had  far  more  important  things  to  com 
municate.  By  informing  the  Tehuas  of  the  movement  on 
foot  against  them,  she  appeared  as  a  deserter  from  the 
enemy,  as  a  timely  friend.  If  afterward,  as  she  confidently 
believed,  Tyope  should  come  up  with  the  warriors  against 
the  Tehuas,  he  would  find  everything  prepared  for  a  disas 
trous  reception.  Matters  looked  exceedingly  promising  for  . 
her  plans. 

For  all  that,  she  did  not  forget  Say  Koitza ;  but  she  had 
been  to  some  extent  forewarned,  and  as  soon  as  Say  heard 
of  Shotaye's  absence  she  must  suspect  the  truth.  After  all, 
Say  was  in  no  real  danger.  Until  the  campaign  was  over, 
there  was  no  time  to  think  of  her  case,  and  during  that 

24 


370  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

campaign  Shotaye  would  provide  for  the  Queres  such  a 
rough  handling  that  no  thoughts  of  witchcraft  trials  would 
trouble  them  for  some  time  to  come.  For  there  should  be 
mourning,  sadness,  grief,  howling,  and  gnashing  of  teeth  on 
the  Rito  on  a  very  large  scale. 

Still  she  did  not  lose  sight  of  the  possibility  that  her 
absence  might  be  noticed  at  an  early  day,  and  might  arouse 
suspicion.  It  was  possible,  though  not  at  all  likely.  As 
long  as  people  mourned,  nobody  would  care  for  her. 
After  the  official  mourning  was  over  the  council  would  be 
convened  and  the  campaign  announced.  Thereupon  all 
the  men  who  had  to  take  part  would  have  to  retire  for  the 
customary  fasts  and  purifications,  and  the  Yaya  and  the 
Chayani  would  have  to  work  heavily.  Her  home  was  not 
likely  to  be  visited  by  any  one  for  a  number  of  days,  and 
when  the  warriors  of  the  Queres  were  on  the  march  nobody 
would  call  them  back  because  she  had  disappeared  from 
the  Rito. 

Perfectly  at  rest  in  regard  to  her  own  future,  reassured  as 
to  the  fate  of  Say  Koitza,  Shotaye  had,  on  the  night  of  the 
second  day  after  the  murder  of  Topanashka,  left  her  home 
and  climbed  to  the  northern  mesa  without  meeting  any 
obstacle.  When  the  sun  rose,  she  found  herself  quite  near 
the  place  which  Cayamo,  as  far  as  she  understood,  had 
designated  as  the  spot  where  his  friend  Teanyi  would  wait 
for  her.  Unacquainted  with  the  real  distance  that  separates 
the  Rito  from  the  cave-dwellings  above  Santa  Clara,  she 
had  underrated  it ;  and  it  was  only  at  noon,  after  she  had 
spent  hours  walking  through  the  pine  timber  and  in  fruitless 
waiting,  that  a  man  stepped  up  to  her  from  behind  a  tree 
and  called  out,  — 

"Teanyi!"  Then  he  added,  "Cayamo,"  and  inquired, 
"Shotaye?" 

He  was  the  looked-for  and   longed-for  delegate;   and 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  371 

when  the  sun  stood  at  its  height,  the  two  were  travelling 
toward  the  Puye  together. 

Shotaye  attempted  to  convey  the  idea  to  her  companion 
that  the  Queres  were  upon  the  point  of  moving  upon  the 
Tehuas  in  force.  Her  excited  gesticulations  and  broken 
sentences  only  succeeded  in  making  him  believe  that  she  was 
herself  the  object  of  lively  pursuit  by  a  considerable  number 
of  men.  Therefore  when  the  pair  reached  the  isolated, 
castle-like  rock  called  Puye,  which  dominates  the  country 
far  around,  and  along  the  base  of  which  the  dwellings  of 
the  Tehuas  were  excavated  in  friable  white  pumice-stone,  in 
the  same  manner  as  are  those  of  the  Rito,  Teanyi  left  her 
standing  before  the  entrance  to  his  own  cave-home,  went 
in,  and  called  his  wife  to  take  care  of  the  new-comer  while 
he  ran  to  the  tuyo,  as  the  governor  is  called  among  the 
Tehuas.  The  wife  of  Teanyi  had  not  been  informed  of  the 
nature  of  Shotaye's  call,  and  as  she  took  her  into  her  quar 
ters  she  eyed  her  curiously  and  suspiciously,  for  it  was 
probably  the  first  time  she  had  seen  a  human  being  that 
spoke  a  language  different  from  her  own.  She  gave  her  no 
food,  but  waited  her  husband's  return.  Shotaye,  on  her 
side,  cast  the  quick  glance  of  her  lively  eyes  at  everything. 
From  time  to  time  she  attempted  a  word  of  conversation ; 
she  smiled  and  gesticulated,  but  the  only  response  was  a 
shaking  of  the  head  and  facial  expressions  that  denoted 
suspicion  rather  than  friendship. 

Teanyi  had  informed  the  tuyo  that  he  had  met  a  woman 
from  the  Rito  de  los  Frijoles  and  had  taken  her  to  his  home, 
or  rather  to  that  of  his  wife  ;  that  the  woman  was  gesticulating 
in  an  unintelligible  manner ;  and  that  all  he  could  surmise 
was  that  there  might  be  Queres  approaching  the  Puye  with 
hostile  intentions.  He  said  nothing  about  Cayamo  and  his 
relations  toward  Shotaye,  for  Cayamo  had  enjoined  absolute 
secrecy. 


372  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

The  governor  of  the  Tehuas  was  a  different  man  from  the 
pompous  little  tapop  of  the  Queres.  The  latter  would  at 
once  have  called  the  council  and  done  everything  to  sur 
round  the  event  and  his  own  person  with  as  much  noise  as 
possible.  Not  so  the  tuyo  of  the  Puye.  He  only  said, 
"  I  will  go  with  you,"  and  went  to  the  room  of  Teanyi's 
wife  to  see  Shotaye  and  investigate  for  himself. 

The  gesticulations  began  again,  and  the  woman  used  every 
effort  to  make  herself  understood.  The  governor  did  his 
best  to  understand  her,  but  no  progress  was  made  toward 
comprehension.  She  even  followed  Cayamo's  precedent  in 
drawing  a  line  on  the  floor  from  north  to  south,  designating 
the  southern  end  as  Tupoge,  the  northern  end  as  Puye,  for 
thus  much  she  had  kept  in  memory.  Then  she  pointed  out 
on  that  line  the  spot  where  Topanashka  had  been  killed,  and 
said,  "Uan  save,"  and  made  the  gesture-sign  for  killing. 
Lastly  she  tried  to  convey  the  idea  that  the  Queres  were  in 
arms  against  the  Tehuas. 

The  governor  displayed  much  coolness,  and  paid  close 
attention  during  this  strange  and  almost  comic  interview. 
He  thought  he  understood  that  a  man  from  the  Rito,  prob 
ably  called  Topanashka,  had  been  murdered  by  the  Dinnes 
on  the  trail  leading  to  the  Puye  from  the  south.  He  also 
thought  that  the  Queres  were  on  the  war-path  to  avenge  the 
murder.  In  what  manner  this  was  connected  with  the  ex 
cited  state  of  the  woman  he  could  not  clearly  see,  unless 
she  was  perhaps  the  widow  of  the  murdered  man.  In  that 
event  she  might  have  become  insane  from  fright  and 
despair  !  Her  violent  gesticulations  and  the  expression  ol 
passion  and  agitation  on  her  features  confirmed  his  suspi 
cion  that  Shotaye  was  distracted. 

A  growing  coldness  in  his  manner  at  last  showed  the 
woman  what  sort  of  an  impression  she  had  been  creating, 
and  she  felt  very  uneasy.  Not  that  her  life  became  en- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  373 

dangered  thereby ;  on  the  contrary,  the  Indian  is  very  con 
siderate  and  charitable  toward  such  unfortunates.  But  from 
the  moment  that  the  Tehuas  were  convinced  of  her  insanity 
they  would  attach  no  longer  any  importance  to  her  warn 
ings,  and  a  precious  lapse  of  time  that  should  be  improved 
for  immediate  preparations  for  defence  was  irretrievably 
lost.  The  Queres  might  be  allowed  to  approach,  and  their 
onslaught  would  find  the  Tehuas  utterly  unprepared.  If 
only  Cayamo  had  been  present !  But  he  dared  not  ap 
proach  a  woman  now,  for  he  was  at  work  purifying  himself 
and  fasting,  in  anticipation  of  the  great  day  when  the  scalp 
which  he  had  taken  would  be  feasted  over,  danced  over, 
prayed  at,  and  sung  to.  Shotaye  found  herself  in  a  most 
painful  situation.  She  noticed  how  complacently  the  tuyo 
smiled,  the  more  she  attempted  to  insist.  At  last  he  turned 
to  Teanyi  and  said  a  few  words  to  the  latter.  Teanyi  shook 
his  head,  and  Shotaye  followed  the  discussion  that  ensued 
between  the  two  men  with  eager  eyes  and  ears. 

It  soon  became  clear  to  her  that  they  were  of  different 
opinions,  and  that  each  one  persisted  in  his  own.  Finally 
Teanyi  spoke  alone,  and  for  quite  a  while  in  a  low  voice ; 
and  the  governor  listened  attentively  and  with  growing 
interest.  Though  Teanyi's  voice  was  muffled,  Shotaye 
still  overheard  the  word  Cayamo  several  times.  Straining 
her  sense  of  hearing,  she  caught  the  words  tupoge,  tema 
quio,  finally  Shotaye  also.  The  tuyo  listened,  smiled,  winked 
slyly,  and  at  last  laughed  aloud.  At  the  same  time  he  turned 
his  face  to  her  and  nodded  most  pleasantly ;  thereupon  he 
said  a  few  words  to  Teanyi  aloud,  and  the  latter  turned  to 
his  family,  which  had  little  by  little  congregated  in  the 
room,  and  repeated,  as  appeared  to  Shotaye,  his  statements. 
At  the  close  of  his  talk  all  broke  out  in  a  joyful  laugh.  The 
housewife,  who  until  then  had  rather  frowned  at  the  visitor, 
now  smiled  and  nodded  too,  repeating  the  words.  — 


374  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Not   Queres ;   Tehua  woman,  wife   of  Cayamo." 

All  laughed,  and  the  governor  exclaimed, — 

"It  is  well." 

The  case  was  clear  to  all.  Cayamo,  on  his  expedition 
to  secure  scalps,  had  picked  up  a  sweetheart.  Food  was 
placed  before  Shotaye,  and  the  woman  caressed  her,  inviting 
her  to  eat. 

In  the  mean  time,  one  of  the  boys  had  left  the  room. 
Shotaye  was  still  eating  when  he  returned  in  company  with 
an  elderly  man  of  low  stature,  whose  greeting  was  answered 
with  the  usual  reply. 

This  man  cowered  down  among  the  rest,  and  listened 
with  the  closest  attention  to  a  long  speech  of  the  governor. 
At  the  close  of  it  he  sat  for  a  while  scrutinizing  the  wo 
man's  appearance,  but  when  she  looked  up  at  him  he 
addressed  her  in  her  own  dialect,  and  with  the  words,  — 

"Where  do  you  come  from?" 

A  heavy  load  fell  from  Shotaye's  heart.  The  ice  was 
broken ;  henceforth  she  could  explain  herself  in  her  own 
tongue,  and  inform  the  Tehuas  of  everything  that  was  so 
important  to  them,  so  momentous  to  her.  But  her  first 
impression,  on  hearing  her  tongue  spoken  by  one  who 
was  certainly  not  of  her  stock,  was  almost  one  of  fright. 
People  who  spoke  more  than  one  language  were  exces 
sively  rare  at  those  times ;  and  those  who  happened  to 
learn  the  speech  of  another  tribe  kept  it  secret,  as  Tyope, 
for  instance,  concealed  his  knowledge  of  the  Navajo  lan 
guage  from  the  people  of  the  Rito.  The  knowledge  of 
more  than  one  tongue  was  a  suspicious  and  therefore 
a  dangerous  gift.  The  man  who  now  conversed  with 
Shotaye  in  the  Queres  dialect  was  not  a  native  of  the 
Puye.  He  belonged  to  the  linguistic  group  of  the  Tehuas, 
but  to  the  southern  branch,  the  Tanos,  who  inhabited  sev 
eral  villages  west  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  in  the  country 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS,  375 

where  the  city  of  Santa  Fe  now  stands.  Between  the 
Tanos  and  the  Queres  there  was  limited  commercial  inter 
course,  for  the  Tanos  claimed  the  veins  of  turquoise  that 
abound  on  the  heights  near  some  of  their  villages,  and  the 
Queres  went  thither  at  rare  intervals  to  trade  for  the 
gems  which  they  were  unable  to  obtain  by  force. 

Through  this  rare  and  limited  traffic  the  Tano  had 
become  acquainted  with  some  of  the  men  of  the  Rito, 
and  many  years  ago  had  even  accompanied  them  to  their 
home  in  the  mountain  gorge.  Such  visits  were  literally 
great  affairs  at  the  time,  and  they  lasted  long.  Exten 
sive  formalities  were  required  to  ascertain  first  how  far 
the  Shiuana  appeared  favourable  to  the  new-comer,  and 
how  he  should  make  himself  understood  to  them.  The 
medicine-men  had  to  make  strenuous  efforts  in  behalf  of 
the  visitor.  Equally  long  formalities  preceded  his  depart 
ure,  and  our  Tano  had  in  this  manner,  between  reception, 
residence,  and  leave-taking,  spent  more  than  a  year  at 
the  Rito  de  los  Frijoles.  During  that  time  he  had  ac 
quired  a  knowledge  of  the  Queres  language,  and  spoke 
it  therefore  not  fluently,  but  still  intelligibly. 

As  Shotaye  had  appeared  excited  and  agitated  as  long 
as  she  felt  helpless  in  matters  of  speech,  so  now  she 
became  free,  easy,  and  above  all,  calm  and  clear  in  her 
utterances,  when  she  could  make  herself  understood.  The 
Tano  began  to  question  her  in  a  methodical,  and  even  in 
an  argumentative  manner.  He  spoke  slowly  and  brokenly ; 
but  she  understood  him,  and  he  comprehended  fully  her 
replies,  for  they  were  given  to  the  same  categoric  way. 
Each  of  her  sentences  he  translated  into  Tehua,  turning 
to  the  tuyo  at  the  end  of  every  one  of  her  answers. 
Shotaye  told  him  everything,  with  the  exception  of  the 
matter  of  the  owl's  feathers,  for  these  would  have  been 
as  dangerous  among  the  Tehuas  as  among  the  Queres. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

She  explained  the  misunderstanding  that  lay  at  the  bot 
tom  of  the  hostility  displayed  by  the  Queres,  and  finally 
she  insisted  that  there  was  no  time  to  clear  up  that  mis 
understanding  ;  and  since  the  Queres  were  already  on  the 
march,  she  urged  speedy  preparation  to  repel  the  assault. 
She  strained  the  truth  on.  the  latter  point,  but  the  tuyo 
forgave  her  this  manifest  exaggeration.  He  knew  that 
there  must  be  at  least  five  days'  delay  before  the  pro 
spective  campaign.  The  further  the  woman  proceeded 
in  her  exposition  of  facts,  the  more  she  observed,  through 
her  quick  and  scrutinizing  glance,  that  her  listeners  be 
came  deeply  interested,  and  that  thoroughly  startled,  they 
at  last  displayed  marks  of  indignation.  That  indignation, 
it  was  plain,  was  against  the  Queres ;  and  Shotaye  fell 
that  she  had  gained  her  point.  The  breach  between  the 
tribes  was  now  widened  to  such  an  extent  that  it  could 
never  be  healed.  At  the  close  of  the  interrogatory,  which 
had  frequently  been  interrupted  by  exclamations  of  sur 
prise  and  anger,  the  mistress  of  the  house  caressed  Sho 
taye,  calling  her  sister.  The  tuyo,  however,  merely  nodded 
to  her  kindly,  uttered  in  a  commanding  tone  a  few  words 
to  those  present,  and  went  out  to  attend  to  his  duties 
of  convening  the  council.  But  the  Tano  Indian  remained 
with  Shotaye  until  late  in  the  night.  He  pretended  to 
keep  her  company,  and  to  contribute  toward  dispelling 
the  feeling  of  loneliness  that  might  overcome  her  in  the 
midst  of  people  with  whom  she  could  not  converse.  But 
in  reality  he  remained  as  a  spy,  to  cross-examine  in  a 
covert  way.  Shotaye  was  wary,  and  not  one  contradic 
tion,  not  one  misstatement,  could  he  detect  during  theil 
talk.  Then  he  went  where  the  council  had  gathered, 
reporting  that  according  to  his  conviction  the  woman 
was  not  only  sincere,  but  exceedingly  well-informed. 
It  would,  be  superfluous  to  enter  into  details  concerning 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  377 

the  proceedings  ot  the  council.  Its  composition  and  the 
formalities  were  in  the  main  similar  to  those  of  the  coun 
cil  of  the  Queres.  One  point  was  earnestly  discussed, — 
the  propriety  of  sending  a  messenger  to  the  Queres  to 
clear  up,  if  possible,  the  misunderstanding.  But  the  thought 
was  finally  discarded,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  not  the 
Tehuas  who  should  make  overtures  of  peace,  —  because 
they  were  absolutely  innocent,  —  but  the  Queres,  for  it  was 
they  who,  ere  proceeding  to  hostile  demonstrations,  should 
have  called  on  the  Tehuas  for  explanation.  Had  the  two 
tribes  been  on  friendly  terms,  it  might  have  been  different ; 
but  there  existed  a  breach  between  them  already,  and  if 
the  Queres  chose  to  still  further  widen  it,  the  Tehuas  felt 
ready  for  any  emergency.  It  was  resolved  to  prepare  for 
war  at  once,  to  call  to  arms  the  entire  male  population, 
send  ahead  the  necessary  spies,  and  thus  prepared,  to  wait. 
With  this  the  matter  went  into  the  hands  of  the  great  medi 
cine-man  and  the  head  war-chief.  The  former  was  almost 
an  equivalent  to  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  among  the  Queres, 
the  latter  the  exact  equivalent  of  the  maseua. 

The  castle-like  rock  of  the  Puye,  along  whose  base 
the  numerous  cave-dwellings  are  burrowed  out  of  a  very 
friable  and  almost  snow-white  tufa,  is  situated  about  ten 
miles  west  of  the  Rio  Grande,  and  not  two  miles  south 
of  the  picturesque  canon  of  Santa  Clara.  The  cliff  is 
over  one  half  mile  long,  and  it  dominates  the  mesa  on 
which  it  stands.  For  many  miles  there  are  groves  of 
timber  surrounding  the  foot  of  the  high  and  rugged  slope 
that  leads  up  to  the  cave-dwellings.  While  the  Queres 
at  the  Rito  dwelt  at  the  bottom  of  a  secluded  gorge,  the 
Tehuas  occupied  a  picturesque  citadel  rising  from  a  high 
and  level  plateau.  Northeast  of  the  Puye,  and  separated 
from  it  by  the  canon  of  Santa  Clara,  there  rises  a  similar 
rock,  equally  bold  and  striking,  and  higher  still,  but  not 


378  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

as  extensive.  This  is  called  by  the  Tehuas,  Shu  Finne. 
Its  lower  rim  is  also  perforated  by  cave- dwellings,  and 
these  were  inhabited  by  a  portion  of  the  same  tribe. 
During  the  night  runners  were  sent  to  the  Shu  Finne, 
calling  upon  its  people  for  assistance ;  and  videttes  were 
placed  on  the  mountains  and  on  the  little  mesa  capping 
the  cliff.  The  Tehuas  were  more  numerous  than  the 
Queres  of  the  Rito,  and  might  well  wait  calmly  and  with 
dignity  until  the  latter  either  sought  to  negotiate  or  broke 
out  in  unjustifiable  warfare. 

The  five  days  which,  as  the  tuyo  had  correctly  inferred, 
would  be  spent  by  the  people  of  the  Tyuonyi  in  mourning 
and  in  warlike  preparations,  passed ;  and  no  messenger  of 
peace  came  to  the  Tehuas.  The  Queres  remained  in 
perfect  confidence  that  those  whom  they  intended  to  sur 
prise  were  in  absolute  ignorance  of  any  evil  intentions 
on  their  part.  But  when  the  night  of  the  fifth  day  had 
shrouded  the  landscape  in  purple  darkness,  Tehua  war 
riors  began  to  stream  down  the  slopes  from  the  cliff  and 
its  cave-dwellings.  The  deepest  silence  was  observed, 
instructions  having  been  given  beforehand,  and  the  bands 
of  armed  men  moved  noiselessly  forward.  The  plan  was 
not  to  await  the  attack  at  home,  but  to  advance  into  the 
more  timbered  country  south  of  the  barren  mesa  where 
the  cliff  rises,  and  to  surprise  the  enemy  on  their  ap 
proach.  From  reports  of  spies  it  was  known  that  no 
Queres  were  as  yet  scouring  the  heights  north  of  the 
Rito;  and  the  Tehuas,  moving  swiftly,  were  able  to  place 
themselves  in  ambush  in  the  rocky  wilderness  where,  later 
on,  their  descendants  built  and  inhabited  the  now  ruined 
village  of  the  Pueblo  of  the  Bird.  One  half  day's  journey 
would  bring  the  Queres  easily  to  that  point,  where  they 
certainly  would  not  expect  to  be  met  by  armed  foes.  There 
is  water  in  the  vicinitv.  and  the  ground  is  broken  with  pine 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  379 

groves.  It  could  be  foretold  with  reasonable  certainty  that 
the  enemy  would  move  in  the  direction  of  this  place,  for  it 
is  the  straightest  course,  though  not  the  easiest,  from  the 
Rito  northward.  In  this  region  the  Tehua  hosts  spread 
out,  scouts  preceding  even  as  far  as  the  Ziro  kauash. 
The  Queres  might  come,  for  everything  was  as  ready  as 
Shotaye's  fondest  hopes  could  have  wished. 

During  these  warlike  preparations  Shotaye  found  ample 
time  and  opportunity  to  become  initiated  into  the  life  of 
her  new  home.  The  old  interpreter  proved  a  very  useful 
guide,  and  she  improved  his  willingness  to  talk  and  to  ad 
vise.  He  informed  her  that  Cayamo  was  free,  and  that  as 
soon  as  the  story  of  their  meeting  had  become  known  among 
the  people  of  the  Puye,  everybody  began  to  look  upon  her 
as  his  future  wite.  Shortly  before  the  beginning  of  the  cam 
paign,  the  time  of  his  retirement  expired ;  the  ceremonies  on 
the  scalp  matter  had  to  be  postponed  on  account  of  the  all- 
important  measures  of  war,  and  Cayamo  was  able  to  pre 
sent  himself  to  his  future  spouse  in  the  natural  colour  of 
his  skin  and  in  his  usual  costume.  Their  meeting  was 
not  in  the  least  sentimental.  Both  laughed  aloud  and 
joyfully ;  they  exchanged  gestures  and  signs  plainly  indicat 
ing  their  future  duties  and  probable  results.  Those  pres 
ent  laughed  in  token  of  approval  and  applause.  At  a  hint 
from  Teanyi's  wife,  Shotaye  placed  some  corn-cakes  before 
Cayamo.  He  ate  a  few  morsels,  the  courtship  formalities 
were  fulfilled,  and  the  bridegroom  returned  to  his  duty  as 
a  warrior. 

The  Tano  had  informed  the  woman  that  Cayamo  belonged 
to  the  clan  of  the  Sun.  In  return  she  communicated  that 
the  Water  people  were  her  kindred.  What  the  Queres  called 
Tzitz  hanutsh  the  Tehuas  named  P'ho  doa,  and  the  members 
of  the  clan  P'ho  were  therefore  officially  requested  to  take 
their  new  sister  in  charge.  Some  of  the  old  men  of  the 


380  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

cluster  came  over  to  the  dwellings  of  the  Turquoise  clan, 
where  the  wife  of  Teanyi  lived.  In  their  company  came  sev 
eral  women,  who  escorted  Shotaye  to  her  new  quarters.  On 
the  way  to  the  caves  of  P'ho  doa  one  of  the  women  lightly 
touched  Shotaye's  breast,  then  her  own,  and  whispered,  — 

"  Oyike  P'ho." 

It  was  her  name,  and  Shotaye  communicated  her  own  in 
reply.  The  woman  shook  her  head,  whispering,  — 

"  Nyo  Shotaye,  nyo  Tema,  *  not  Shotaye,  not  Queres.' 
Tehua  quio."  Then  she  grasped  her  hand  and  breathed 
into  Shotaye's  ear,  — 

"  Aua  P'ho  Quio." 

Shotaye  easily  understood  the  meaning  of  this  confiden 
tial  communication.  With  her  change  of  abode  her  name 
was  to  change  also.  Henceforth  she  was  to  be  a  Tehua 
woman,  and  Aua  P'ho  Quio  was  to  be  her  name. 
r  The  Tano  continued  his  visits  as  heretofore.  He  plied 
the  woman  with  questions,  sometimes  of  the  most  complex 
nature.  His  conduct  in  this  respect  was  characteristic  of  the 
suspicious  nature  of  the  Indian  generally.  The  leaders  of 
the  Tehuas  mistrusted  Shotaye  still,  notwithstanding  her 
clear  and  positive  talk ;  and  they  had  instructed  the  Tano  to 
keep  her  company  and  to  probe  her  sincerity  and  veracity 
still  further.  But  she  was  more  than  a  match  for  all  of  them. 
She  saw  through  the  maze  of  the  very  confused  and  bewil 
dering  interrogatory,  and  her  replies  were  such  as  to  ab 
solutely  confirm  the  Tehuas  in  the  good  opinion  they  had 
conceived  of  her.  Whatever  the  interpreter  reported  to 
the  tuyo  that  was  of  any  value  to  the  military  operations 
impending,  was  immediately  communicated  to  the  war-chief 
through  a  special  runner,  for  that  functionary  was  in  the 
field  already  with  his  men. 

Shotaye  made  use  of  her  conversations  with  the  Tano 
Indian  to  direct  the  attention  of  the  Tehuas  toward  Tyope. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  381 

She  described  him  as  the  leading  warrior  and  the  most  in 
fluential  man  on  the  Rito,  as  the  pivot  around  which  every 
thing  revolved  and  on  whose  life  much  would  depend.  But 
she  was  artful  enough  not  to  depict  Tyope  as  a  bad  man, 
lest  the  Tehuas  might  infer  her  real  purpose.  She  spoke  of 
him  as  a  man  dangerous  through  his  good  qualities,  and  as 
a  formidable  adversary.  In  short  her  words  produced  such 
an  effect  that  the  governor  himself  came  to  interrogate  her 
on  the  subject,  and  even  caused  the  war-chief  to  return  from 
the  field  on  the  fourth  day,  and  had  him  visit  Shotaye  in 
company  with  the  interpreter  and  secure  a  detailed  and  ac 
curate  description  of  this  dangerous  individual.  Then  they 
went  to  the  medicine- man  and  consulted  him  about  the 
propriety  of  taking  Shotaye  along  into  the  field,  that  she 
might  point  out  the  great  warrior  who,  so  they  had  become 
convinced,  must  be  killed  at  all  hazards  in  order  to  insure 
success.  On  the  evening  of  the  sixth  day,  therefore,  Shotaye 
wandered  over  to  Tzirege  in  company  with  the  commander 
himself. 

Shortly  after  their  arrival  among  the  group  of  warriors 
where  the  war-chief  had  taken  his  position,  runners  came 
from  the  south  with  news  that  they  had  detected  several 
Queres  in  full  war-paint  creeping  northward  from  the  brink 
of  the  Rito.  These  runners  were  at  once  ordered  back,  with 
strict  injunctions  to  the  scouts  not  to  impede  the  enemy's 
movements,  but  to  suffer  them  to  advance.  The  Tehuas 
were  quite  scattered,  particularly  in  the  front,  as  is  usually 
the  case  with  bodies  of  Indians  on  the  war-path.  The  main 
bodies  concealed  themselves  between  the  Tzirege  and  a 
deep  and  broad  ravine  farther  south,  called  to-day  Canada 
Ancha.  They  kept  in  the  woods  toward  the  mountains,  ex 
pecting  their  foes  to  approach  on  a  line  closer  to  the  river. 
The  plan  was  to  allow  the  Queres  to  come  up  undisturbed 
as  far  as  the  north  side  of  the  Canada.  As  the  men  from 


382  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

the  Rito  advanced,  the  Tehua  scouts  were  to  close  in  from 
the  rear  and  follow  them  cautiously,  until  the  enemies  were 
all  gathered  on  the  desired  spot,  with  the  woods  to  their 
left  and  rugged,  barren  cliffs  and  peaks  to  their  right.  Then 
the  trap  would  be  sprung ;  and  if  the  Queres  took  to  those 
bleak  fastnesses  for  defence  it  would  be  easy  to  surround 
them,  cut  them  off  from  water,  and  thus  exterminate  them 
completely. 

Night  had  fallen  when  another  message  came,  to  the 
effect  that  the  numbers  of  the  enemy  were  increasing,  and 
beginning  to  spread  over  the  timber  in  small  groups.  The 
war-chief  sent  a  messenger  to  the  Puye,  and  after  midnight 
the  great  medicine-man  of  war  appeared  in  person.  The 
shaman  was,  like  all  the  others,  painted  black ;  a  tall  plume 
taken  from  an  eagle  rose  behind  each  ear ;  the  left  hand  car 
ried  a  rattle ;  and  a  little  drum  was  suspended  from  his  shoul 
der.  As  soon  as  he  arrived,  one  of  the  warriors  retired  to  a 
spot  which  was  almost  hedged  in  by  several  bushy  cedar- 
trees.  There  he  built  a  fire,  and  as  soon  as  it  burned  he 
covered  it  in  such  a  manner  that  only  a  thin  film  of  smoke 
arose  from  it.  To  this  smouldering  heap  the  shaman  pro 
ceeded  alone  and  sat  down.  There  he  spent  the  night, 
muttering  incantations  and  prayers,  shaking  his  rattle,  and 
•striking  the  drum  softly  from  time  to  time. 

The  sounds  that  proceeded  from  his  discordant  music 
were  so  faint  that  they  could  be  heard  only  in  close  prox 
imity.  They  were  besides  the  only  human  sound  in  this 
wilderness.  Animal  voices  occasionally  disturbed  the  quiet 
ness  of  the  night.  Nobody  would  have  supposed  that 
between  the  Rito  and  the  mesas  opposite  San  Ildefonso 
of  to-day  several  hundred  Indian  warriors  were  hidden, 
patiently  waiting  or  slowly  moving  forward.  It  was  a  quiet, 
still  night,  cool,  as  the  nights  mostly  are  in  the  rainy  sea 
son,  and  dark.  The  sky  was  partly  overcast ;  but  the  cloudf 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  383 

did  not  drift,  they  formed  and  dissolved  overhead ;  and  the 
stars  appeared  and  disappeared  alternately  as  the  nebulous 
fleeces  disclosed  or  shrouded  them.  Behind  the  mountain, 
thunder-clouds  rested,  and  occasional  flashes  of  lightning 
illuminated  the  crests,  and  faint  thunder  muttered  in  the 
distance.  It  had  no  threatening  sound,  and  the  lightning  did 
not  seem  like  prophetic  writing  on  the  sombre  clouds.  It 
was  a  pleasant  night  and  an  excellent  one  for  Indian 
warfare. 

The  scouts  of  the  Tehuas  had  reported  in  the  last 
instance  that  the  bulk  of  the  war- party  from  the  Rito  must 
now  be  on  the  move,  for  no  fresh  additions  were  coming  up 
from  the  gorge.  So  careless  and  unconcerned  were  the 
Queres,  so  absolutely  sure  of  the  enemy's  ignorance  of  their 
designs,  that  they  never  thought  of  sending  scouts  to  the 
upper  end  of  the  northern  mesa.  From  there  a  few  Tehuas 
had  comfortably  observed  everything  that  happened  in  the 
gorge  during  the  day,  and  as  evening  came  they  could  re 
port  even  the  numbers  of  the  warriors  who  took  part  in  the 
campaign.  As  soon  as  these  warriors  were  all  on  the  Ziro 
kauash,  the  Tehua  spies,  after  warning  those  behind  them, 
crept  cautiously  into  the  rear  of  the  advancing  foe. 

All  the  able-bodied  men  from  the  Tyuonyi  had  not  been 
permitted  to  join  the  expedition.  Hayoue  was  not  among 
them,  neither  was  Okoya.  It  was  a  sad  disappointment  to 
the  boy,  and  yet  was  he  not  staying  at  home  in  defence  of 
his  mother  and  of  Mitsha  ?  Say  Koitza  had  ceased  to  weep, 
but  the  persistent  neglect  which  she  thought  she  suffered 
from  Shotaye  grieved  her.  At  last  she  asked  Okoya 
whether  he  had  seen  anything  of  the  cave-woman.  His 
reply,  that  he  thought  she  had  gone,  explained  everything. 
She  recollected  the  confident  words  that  Shotaye  had 
spoken  to  her,  and  concluded  that  the  woman  had  carried 
out  her  plan  of  taking  refuge  with  the  Tehuas.  That 


3  84  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

quelled  her  apprehensions  and  allayed  her  fears.  Shotaye 
knew  what  she  was  and  had  to  do  ;  and  Shotaye  —  of  this 
Say  felt  convinced  —  was  true  to  her.  In  order  to  be  quite 
sure  of  the  fact,  however,  she  strolled  up  to  the  cave  in  the 
course  of  an  afternoon.  The  rooms  were  empty,  and  Say 
turned  back.  One  of  Shotaye's  neighbours  stopped  her  to 
ask  where  the  medicine-woman  might  be.  Say  carelessly 
replied  that  she  was  probably  on  the  heights  above,  gather 
ing  herbs.  The  wily  fugitive  had  left  her  household  as  H 
she  were  about  to  return  soon.  With  the  exception  of  the 
mother  of  Okoya  nobody  noticed  her  absence.  She  was 
known  to  disappear  occasionally  for  several  days ;  and  fur 
thermore,  the  excitement  and  bustle  incident  upon  the  pro 
spective  expedition  against  the  Tehuas  engaged  everybody's 
attention. 

r  Say  Koitza  could  not  help  wondering  whether  Shotaye 
would  inform  the  Tehuas  of  the  impending  attack.  Per 
haps  she  might,  perhaps  not.  At  all  events  she  felt  relieved 
upon  hearing  that  neither  her  son  nor  her  husband  nor 
even  Hayoue  were  to  go  with  the  warriors.  The  enterprise 
aroused  within  her  vague  apprehensions ;  why,  she  could  not 
tell.  But  it  pleased  her  to  learn  that  Tyope  was  going, — 
going  as  the  leader,  the  war-captain  of  the  party. 

Tyope  had  worked  incessantly  and  with  brilliant  results. 
The  Shkuy  Chayan  and  the  Koshare  Naua  had  succeeded 
in  so  inveigling  the  principal  shaman  that  he  ordered  that 
all  the  men  from  the  Water  clan,  and  those  from  Shyuamo 
with  few  exceptions,  should  stay  at  home  for  the  protection 
of  the  women  and  children.  That  included  Hayoue,  of 
whose  abilities  and  popularity  Tyope  was  afraid,  and  saved 
the  Turquoise  people  from  the  casualties  of  war.  Tyope 
went  so  far  as  to  praise  Hayoue  in  the  council,  suggesting 
that  the  young  man  should  be  intrusted  with  authority  as 
war-chief  ad  interim.  The  suggestion  was  carried  out  at 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  38$ 

once,  and  afterward  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  appointed  Tyope 
as  commander-in-chief  of  the  forces  marching  out.  He 
himself  accompanied  the  body  of  warriors  as  adviser  and 
spiritual  guide  to  the  captain.  Nothing  could  suit  Tyope 
better.  The  man  was  old  and  not  very  strong,  and  people 
are  often  killed  in  war. 

After  sunset  the  medicine-man  made  his  appearance  on 
the  northern  mesa  and  performed  his  incantations.  Tyope 
and  most  of  the  others  breathed  on  their  war-fetiches,  and 
then  group  after  group  stealthily  moved  onward.  The  plan, 
which  had  been  communicated  to  every  one  in  its  main 
points,  consisted  in  reaching  before  sunrise  the  very  ground 
which  the  Tehuas  had  selected  for  their  operations ;  pass' 
ing  the  following  day  in  the  woods  of  that  vicinity  in  con 
cealment,  and  creeping  up  to  the  Puye  the  following  night  j 
then,  after  sunrise,  when  the  Tehuas  would  begin  to  scat 
ter,  unarmed  and  unsuspecting,  pouncing  upon  them  and 
making  a  general  slaughter.  Tyope  had  under  his  direc 
tion  more  than  two  hundred  men,  and  they  extended  over 
a  wide  front.  About  twenty  experienced  warriors,  mostly 
uakanyi,  glided  in  advance  as  scouts.  Behind  them  came 
at  a  suitable  distance  either  single  warriors  or  small  bands. 
The  main  body  came  last.  It  was  divided  into  several 
groups.  Near  the  centre  were  Tyope  and  the  shaman. 

Every  one  knew  that  his  duty  for  the  present  consisted  in 
searching  for  traces  of  the  enemy  without  exposing  himself 
to  discovery.  Should  a  single  Tehua  be  observed,  and  it 
became  possible  for  a  scout  to  overpower  and  kill  him  with 
out  noise,  he  might  do  it.  In  case  a  number  of  foes  were 
noticed,  the  spy  was  to  give  quiet  warning  to  the  man  near 
est  to  him,  that  one  to  those  in  his  rear ;  and  they  were  to 
send  a  runner  to  inform  Tyope.  In  the  mean  time  all  were 
to  halt  until  orders  came  to  move  in  a  new  direction.  For 
Tyope,  although  he  did  not  in  the  least  suspect  that  the 

25 


386  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Tehuas  were  forewarned,  and  still  less  on  the  alert  so  close 
by  the  Rito,  used  every  possible  precaution  in  order  that 
the  surprise  might  be  complete  and  the  blow  as  crushing  as 
possible. 

It  was  dark  in  the  timber,  and  the  main  body  of  the 
Queres  approached  the  brink  of  the  first  canon  north  of 
the  Rito  while  the  advance  were  cautiously  descending 
into  the  bottom  and  the  scouts  were  already  farther  on. 
Tyope  and  the  medicine-man  were  standing  a  short  dis 
tance  from  the  descent  of  the  south  side  and  listening  to 
the  news  which  a  runner  had  just  brought  in  from  the  front. 

"Are  you  sure  you  have  noticed  a  man?"  the  Chayan 
asked  in  a  whisper. 

"  I  am  sure  of  it.  He  crouched  at  the  foot  of  a  juniper- 
bush,"  replied  the  messenger,  positively. 

" Has  he  seen  you?  "  demanded  Tyope. 

"  I  believe  not." 

"When  you  left  was  he  there  still?" 

"  I  could  not  see  any  more  of  him." 

" How  far  is  it  from  here?  Where  stands  the  tree?  "  the 
Chayan  asked. 

"  It  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  ravine,  near  the  border  to 
the  left." 

Tyope  pondered  a  while ;  then  he  said  to  the  shaman,  — 

"  Nashtio  yaya,  I  think  we  should  go  more  toward  the 
east.  What  do  you  say?" 

"It  is  well,"  muttered  the  medicine-man. 

" Satyumishe,"  Tyope  said  to  the  runner,  "go  and  tell 
the  men  to  go  along  the  ravine  toward  the  Rio  Grande 
until  the  trees  become  smaller.  Thence  they  may  go  to  the 
north  again,  but  slowly  and  carefully.  Ziua,"  he  called  to 
one  of  the  bystanders,  "  go  and  tell  those  toward  the  left  to 
come  where  I  stand.  Ohotika,"  calling  another,  "  run  to  the 
right  and  command  those  there  to  wait  until  we  join  t'lem." 


DELIGHT  MAKERS.  387 

The  runners  left  in  the  directions  indicated. 

The  information  which  had  just  been  conveyed  to  Tyope 
was  most  disagreeable.  The  presence  of  one  human  being 
at  the  time  and  place  indicated  looked  very  suspicious.  If 
the  man  had  seen  his  warriors  he  would  certainly  run  home 
and  give  the  alarm.  All  Tyope  could  do  now  was  to  keep 
as  close  as  possible  to  the  Rio  Grande,  push  up  parallel 
with  the  river  as  cautiously  as  possible,  and  thus  sneak 
beyond  the  enemy,  in  case,  as  he  still  could  not  believe, 
the  latter  were  in  anything  like  a  considerable  force.  He 
would  thus  eventually  place  himself  between  them  and  their 
village. 

After  a  while  the  warriors  from  the  left  came  on  hastily, 
stumbling  through  the  darkness.  All  together  now  went 
down  in  an  easterly  direction,  where  the  right  wing,  if  this 
term  can  be  used,  was  halting.  Thence  Tyope  despatched 
runners  ahead  to  inquire  whether  everything  was  quiet  in 
front,  to  repeat  the  order  of  slow  marching,  and  to  direct 
them  to  halt  on  the  northern  brink  of  the  Canada  Ancha. 

When  the  runners  left,  the  march  was  resumed  in  the 
usual  scattering  manner,  as  if  all  were  skirmishers.  Tyope 
and  the  shaman  remained  together.  Neither  uttered  a  word. 
The  commander  looked  up  to  the  stars  from  time  to  time. 
They  were  peeping  out  more  and  more,  for  the  clouds 
were  dispersing.  Only  from  the  southwest  distant  thunder 
sounded  and  lightning  flashed  occasionally.  A  shower  was 
falling  in  that  direction. 

It  was  past  midnight  when  the  main  body  came  up  with 
the  advance  guard  after  crossing  the  Canada  Ancha.  Tyope 
found  everything  in  order,  and  he  directed  a  farther  advance. 
Tyope  was  angry.  The  circuit  which  he  had  felt  obliged  to 
make  made  a  serious  delay,  and  there  was  danger  that  with 
the  early  sunrise  of  the  summer  months  he  might  be  behind 
to  such  an  extent  as  to  be  unable  to  reach  the  cover  of  the 


388  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

woods  in  time.  If  the  Tehuas  were  informed  of  his  approach 
they  would  either  prepare  for  his  coming  at  the  Puye  —  and 
the  result  of  an  open  attack  would  be  to  say  the  least  ex 
tremely  doubtful,  —  or  they  would  come  out  in  force,  and 
desultory  fighting  would  ensue.  In  this  those  who  were 
nearest  water  and  supplies  always  had  the  advantage.  His 
idea  of  striking  a  sudden  blow  appeared  very  much  endan 
gered  by  the  presence  of  Tehuas  in  the  forest.  He  thought 
and  thought  without  arriving  at  any  satisfactory  conclusion. 
Return  to  the  Rito  he  could  not,  for  such  a  retreat  was  worse 
than  disaster.  Neither  could  he  decide  alone ;  the  Hishtanyi 
Chayan  was  by  his  side  and  he  had  to  consult  him.  So  he 
stood  still  and  turned  to  the  shaman,  saying,  — 

"  Nashtio  yaya,  the  night  will  soon  be  over,  and  the  sun 
may  come  out  from  behind  the  mountain  in  the  east." 

"  Ko,"  grunted  the  medicine-man. 

"  It  is  far  yet  to  the  houses  of  the  Moshome  Tehua." 

The  Chayan  stood  still. 

"  Sa  uishe  nashtio,"  said  he,  "  the  Shiuana  direct  us  to  go 
on  a  different  road.  I  saw  an  owl  fly  toward  the  moon. 
Let  us  go  away  from  the  river  into  the  kote  to  rest  and  to 
hide  until  the  sun  goes  down  again  and  we  may  go  farther 
toward  the  katityam  of  the  enemy." 

This  was  just  as  Tyope  wanted.  He  disliked  the  idea  of 
passing  a  day  concealed  under  cliffs  and  crags  where  a  torrid 
sun  shone,  and  where  there  was  water  only  in  the  river  be 
neath  and  at  a  great  depth.  But  he  wanted  to  be  sure  of 
what  Those  Above  intended,  so  he  asked  again,  — 

"Yaya  Chayan,  do  the  Shiuana"  —  he  emphasized  the 
term  —  "  say  that  we  should  go  to  the  west?  " 

"  The  spirits  say  that  we  should  go  where  there  is  shade 
and  water !  Let  us  go  to  the  mountains ;  there  we  shall 
find  both." 

"They  are  right !"  Tyope  exclaimed.     "I  believe  it  is 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  389 

better  to  stay  there  -until  the  sun  has  risen.  I  will  send 
word  to  the  men  to  turn  to  the  left,  and  we  will  sleep  in  the 
shade  of  the  trees  until  the  time  comes  to  advance." 

"  You  are  right,  brother,"  the  Chayan  assented ;  "  do  as 
you  have  said." 

The  two  men  had  lagged  behind  the  others  during  this 
conversation.  Tyope  imitated  the  cry  of  an  owl.  Soon 
several  warriors  came  up  to  him.  He  directed  them  to  go 
to  the  front,  to  the  right,  and  to  the  left,  and  give  orders 
that  all  should  move  to  the  westward  a  short  distance,  far 
enough  to  reach  high  timber.  Then  all  should  halt  and 
prepare  to  pass  the  night.  He  himself  moved  a  short  dis 
tance  only  in  that  direction,  in  company  with  the  shaman, 
and  selected  a  spot  where  the  mesa  was  covered  with  the 
usual  underbrush  and  where  taller  trees  already  began  to 
appear.  Here  he  lay  down  to  rest  with  eyes  wide  open, 
ready  for  any  emergency.  Not  far  away  the  medicine-man 
found  a  secluded  spot  where  he  sat  down  without  fire,  oc 
casionally  touching  the  drum  and  reciting  his  prayers  and 
incantations.  They  were  the  same  as  those  which  the 
shaman  of  the  Tehuas  was  directing  to  Those  Above  at 
the  same  time  and  not  far  from  him,  but  in  a  different 
tongue,  for  the  success  of  his  people  and  the  destruction 
of  those  for  whom  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  was  praying. 

The  decision  of  Tyope  to  penetrate  into  the  forest  to  the 
west  brought  the  Queres  into  the  very  position  which  the 
Tehuas  desired.  The  scouts  of  the  latter  had  obeyed  punc 
tually  and  diligently  the  orders  which  they  had  received,  fol 
lowing  step  by  step  the  advancing  foe  and  reporting  to 
headquarters  any  notable  move.  They  possessed  the  im 
mense  advantage  of  knowing  every  movement  the  Queres 
made  from  the  very  beginning,  and  were  thus  able  to  ob 
serve  them  unseen.  As  soon  as  Tyope  had  concentrated  his 
forces  on  the  northern  brink  of  the  Canada  Ancha,  the  main 


390  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

body  of  the  Tehuas  receded  slightly  to  the  west.  As  soon 
as  the  Queres  began  to  ascend  in  that  direction,  the  retro 
grade  movement  of  the  others  continued  in  the  centre ; 
whereas  the  left  wing  spread  out,  and  the  right  slightly  ad 
vanced  to  the  east  along  the  brink  of  the  ravine.  The 
scouts  were  called  in  with  all  haste  and  reinforced,  espe 
cially  the  body  that  faced  the  Queres  in  the  north.  At  the 
time  Tyope  lay  down  to  rest,  his  forces  were  surrounded 
everywhere  except  on  the  east.  Everything  was  ready  for  the 
Tehuas  to  begin  their  attack  upon  the  unsuspecting  foe  at 
daybreak. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  change  from  night  to  daylight  in  New  Mexico  is  by  no 
means  sudden.  Darkness  yields  slowly  to  the  illumination 
streaming  from  the  east ;  and  when  the  moon  is  shining,  one 
remains  in  doubt  for  quite  a  while  whether  the  growing 
brightness  is  due  to  the  mistress  of  night  or  to  the  lord  of 
day. 

Nowhere  is  this  more  perceptible  than  on  high  plateaus 
covered  by  sparse  timber.  Suddenly  awaking,  one  is  in 
doubt  at  first  whether  it  is  sunrise  or  the  full  moon  that  il 
luminates  the  landscape.  The  shadows  are  weakened,  but 
objects  are  not  much  more  distinct ;  a  glow  pervades  the  air 
rather  than  a  positive  light. 

When  the  Indian  is  on  the  war-path  he  sleeps  but  little, 
and  never  long.  He  prefers  the  day  to  the  night  for  rest, 
as  he  can  conceal  his  movements  better  in  the  darkness. 
Tyope  had  halted  his  little  army  just  before  daybreak  be 
cause  he  felt  afraid  of  going  any  farther,  and  because  he  had 
arrived  close  to  the  place  where  he  desired  to  remain  dur 
ing  the  day  without  exposing  his  forces  to  the  chance  of  dis 
covery.  None  of  his  men  slept ;  none  of  them  dozed,  even. 
They  had  all  been  warned  of  the  possible  presence  of  foes, 
and  although  there  seemed  not  the  slightest  evidence  of 
those  foes  being  aware  of  their  coming,  yet  the  mere  appre 
hension  caused  uneasiness.  There  was  therefore  increased 
watchfulness  on  their  part. 

Every  one  among  the  Queres  was  looking  forward  with 
anxiety  to  the  hour  when  there  would  be  sufficient  light  to 


392  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

investigate  the  situation  more  closely.  The  sky  had  cleared  ; 
the  air  became  cooler,  and  the  morning  star  shone  brightly,  in 
spite  of  the  luminous  crescent  of  a  waning  moon.  The  Hish- 
tanyi  Chayan  was  sitting  at  the  same  place  where  he  had  re 
tired  a  few  hours  before,  but  he  no  longer  prayed ;  he  stared 
motionless.  Tyope  lay  on  his  back  behind  a  juniper-bush. 
He  was  watching  the  sky  and  the  approach  of  dawn.  A 
number  of  warriors  had  lain  down  in  the  vicinity,  awaiting 
the  signal  to  move. 

One  of  these  had  placed  himself  in  such  a  position  that 
-ie  could  glance  at  the  forest,  which  loomed  up  before  him 
like  a  mass  of  dense  shadows  with  rays  of  moonlight  be 
tween.  He  peered  into  that  maze  of  darkness  and  light  for 
hours.  But  nothing  appeared  in  it  worthy  of  note.  So  the 
Queres  warrior  turned  around  on  his  back  in  order  to 
change  position.  He  saw  the  moon  rise  to  the  zenith  and 
the  corona  borealis  disappear  below  the  western  horizon. 
He  noticed  also  how  the  stars  grew  dimmer  and  dimmer, 
how  the  shadows  commenced  to  wane.  Finally  he  fixed  his 
gaze  on  the  east. 

Owing  to  the  shrubbery  it  was  not  possible  to  see  dis 
tinctly,  yet  anything  lying  on  the  ground  could  be  discerned. 
From  the  place  where  he  lay,  the  Queres  Indian  looked 
through  a  lane  bordered  on  both  sides  by  bushes  of  cedar 
and  juniper.  At  the  end  of  that  lane  he  discovered  a  dark 
spot.  That  spot  disappeared  while  he  was  still  gazing  at  it. 
He  strained  his  eyes  to  find  the  spot  again,  but  it  had  really 
vanished. 

The  man  from  the  Rito  became  suspicious.  Again  he 
looked,  but  the  spot  or  object,  whatever  it  might  be,  had 
gone  out  of  sight  altogether.  He  crawled  over  to  the  man 
nearest  him,  told  him  what  had  occurred,  and  returned  to 
his  post.  The  dark  speck  or  thing  had  not  reappeared  ;  but 
on  the  right  side  of  the  gallery  formed  by  the  trees  it  seemed 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  393 

as  if,  somewhat  nearer  to  his  own  position,  something  black 
became  apparent  and  disappeared  in  an  instant.  The  scout 
strained  both  ear  and  eye.  Nothing  could  be  heard,  and 
nothing  else  of  a  suspicious  character  met  his  gaze. 

Meanwhile  his  companion  had  crept  over  to  where  Tyope 
was  lying,  and  had  reported  to  the  commander  the  strange 
apparition.  Tyope  turned  over  so  as  to  face  the  east  and 
said,  — 

"  It  is  well." 

He  also  began  to  scan  the  network  of  shadows  and  illu 
minated  patches  extending  in  that  direction.  The  Indian 
who  had  spoken  to  him  went  back  to  his  post,  but  very 
soon  returned,  whispering,  — 

"  Somebody  has  crossed  over  from  one  tree  to  another." 

"  Where?  "  Tyope  asked  in  a  subdued  voice. 

"There,"  replied  the  scout,  pointing  with  his  hand  toward 
A  group  of  bushes. 

"  It  is  well,"  said  the  leader ;  "  go  back  and  keep  your 
eyes  open." 

The  Indian  crawled  off.  Tyope  rose  to  his  knees,  seized 
two  branches  of  the  tree  behind  which  he  had  been  reclin 
ing,  and  bent  them  asunder.  In  this  manner  he  was  able 
to  overlook  the  ground  to  the  east  at  a  greater  height  than 
before.  The  light  had  increased,  but  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  discern  any  object  at  a  distance. 

Daylight  was  growing  on  the  waning  night.  Had  Tyope 
stood  up  and  looked  toward  the  east,  he  would  have  seen 
the  dark,  sinuous  line  which  the  mountains  east  of  Santa  Fd 
trace  along  that  part  of  the  horizon.  Their  uppermost 
snow-fields  were  beginning  to  glisten  in  the  light  streaming 
up  from  beyond. 

On  Tyope's  left  a  rustling  sound  -y*s  heard ;  he  turned 
around.  One  of  his  men  was  cautiously  approaching. 

"There  are  Moshotne  iu  front  of  US."' 


394  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  I  know  it,"  replied  the  commander.  "  How  many  have 
you  seen  ?  " 

"Two." 

"  And  you  saw  them  clearly?  " 

"  Yes,  but  they  sneaked  cff." 

"  Did  they  seem  to  come  toVard  us?  " 

"  They  crept  behind  a  juniper,  and  after  that  I  could  see 
nothing  more." 

"  Do  the  others  know  it?  " 

"  Not  yet.     Shall  I  tell  them  ?  " 

"  Go  tell  them.     Afterward  return  here  to  me." 

Tyope  felt  embarrassed.  It  was  clear  to  him  that  several 
Tehuas  were  lurking  in  the  direction  whence  he  had  come, 
jjid  that  they  were  moving  toward  him.  It  indicated  that 
their  numbers  were  strong  enough  to  engage  him.  That 
looked  very,  very  ominous  !  If  he  only  knew  how  matters 
stood  elsewhere,  and  whether  the  enemy  had  shown  himself 
at  other  points !  Tyope  grew  very  uneasy. 

Tactics  in  Indian  warfare  reduce  themselves  to  a  game  of 
hide-and-seek.  He  who  must  show  himself  first  is  sure  of 
suffering  the  greater  loss.  Tyope  knew  that  in  case  the 
Tehuas  had  actually  surrounded  him  they  had  the  greater 
advantage  at  their  disposal.  They  might  wait  much  longer 
than  he  and  his  men.  They  might  even  wait  for  days, 
keeping  the  Queres  penned  up  in  uncertainty,  and  then 
break  out  as  soon  as  the  latter  were  sufficiently  exhausted. 

The  same  scout  approached  again.  He  crawled  like  a 
mole. 

"Nashtio,"  he  whispered,  "there  are  Moshome  to  the 
left  of  us." 

"  Many?  "  Tyope  inquired  hastily. 

"  Six  of  them  have  been  noticed." 

That  was  exceedingly  alarming.  He  directed  the  man 
to  stay  on  the  spot,  while  he  glided  through  the  bushes  to 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  395 

where  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  had  spent  the  night.  The 
medicine-man  was  awake,  and  looked  at  the  captain  in 
astonishment.  Tyope  placed  a  finger  on  his  lips  and  shook 
his  head.  The  shaman  asked,  — 

"Sa  uishe,  what  is  it?" 

"  Tzatze  raua  !  Tzatze  raua  !  "  Tyope  exclaimed  in  a 
low  tone.  "The  Tehuas  are  sneaking  about  us  like 
shutzuna.  There  are  many  of  them,  and  they  come  up 
from  the  east.  What  shall  we  do,  yaya?  Speak." 

"Tzatze  raua,"  the  shaman  repeated,  shaking  his  head. 
"  As  you  say,  the  Moshome  come  up  behind  us  ?  " 

"  I  thought,"  Tyope  suggested,  "  of  sending  word  to  the 
men  in  front  to  come  back,  and  as  soon  as  we  could  see 
anything,  striking  the  enemies  in  our  rear.  What  do  you 
think  of  it,  sa  nashtio  ?  " 

"  Many  will  go  to  Shipapu  to-day,"  the  Chayan  muttered. 

"What  shall  I  do?  Speak  !  "  Tyope  insisted.  The  last 
words  of  the  shaman  frightened  him. 

The  Chayan  gave  no  immediate  reply,  but  sat  musing  in  a 
manner  indicating  that  his  thoughts  were  with  Those  Above. 
At  last  he  raised  his  head  and  replied,  — 

"  We  must  wait  until  the  sun  stands  in  the  sky." 

Tyope  suppressed  a  sigh.  However  much  he  attributed 
this  answer  of  the  shaman  to  inspiration  from  those  on  high, 
it  appeared  to  him  dangerous.  Tyope  felt  very  uneasy,  but 
he  was  no  coward.  In  case  the  worst  had  really  happened, 
if  the  Tehuas  had  anticipated  and  surrounded  him,  he  still 
inclined  to  the  conviction  that  concentration  of  his  forces 
and  a  rapid  onslaught  on  the  foes  in  his  rear  would  not 
only  save  him,  but  secure  a  reasonable  number  of  coveted 
trophies.  If  this  could  be  speedily  effected,  the  less  impor 
tant  would  be  his  loss  in  attaining  it ;  for  as  long  as  the  light 
was  faint  and  dim,  the  enemy's  missiles  could  not  be  dis 
charged  with  certain  aim.  He  had  hoped  that  the 


396  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

["  would  assent  to  this  suggestion.  Now  on  the  contrary, 
the  oracle  spoke  in  a  manner  that  plainly  indicated 
that  the  Shiuana  ordered  him  to  wait  until  daylight.  It 
was  sure  destruction,  he  felt  it ;  but  the  Shiuana  spoke 
through  the  medium  of  the  old  man,  and  the  Shiuana 
were  of  course  right.  He  could  not  complain  or  even 
grumble. 

But  he  might  at  least  prepare  everything  in  advance, 
so  that  as  soon  as  the  medicine-man  gave  the  signal,  his 
favourite  move  might  be  executed  with  a  promptness  and 
alacrity  that  would  surprise  the  enemy.  So  Tyope  crept 
back  to  the  juniper- bush  in  whose  neighbourhood  his  men 
were  grouped. 

Dawn  was  coming  on,  and  the  shadows  were  beginning 
to  assume  definite  shapes  and  directions.  Tyope  sighed 
when  he  noticed  the  approach  of  sunlight ;  precious  time 
was  being  irretrievably  lost. 

He  relieved  the  warrior  whom  he  had  left  at  his  post. 
The  latter  whispered  to  him  that  nothing  suspicious  had 
turned  up.  Suddenly  Tyope  started  and  pressed  his  ear  to 
the  ground ;  then  he  darted  up,  rising  to  his  knees,  and 
listened,  straining  every  nerve,  his  head  turned  to  the 
southwest. 

In  that  direction  arose  loud  yells.  They  were  followed 
by  piercing  cries.  Soon  the  sounds  mingled,  so  as  to  create 
a  noise  like  that  which  a  struggle  between  men  and  wolves 
might  produce.  These  sounds  told  Tyope  that  a  severe 
engagement  had  commenced  in  that  direction.  At  the 
same  time  it  struck  him  that  the  main  body  of  the  Tehuas 
were  probably  south  and  east  of  his  forces,  and  that  con 
sequently  by  moving  swiftly  westward  he  could  interpose 
himself  between  the  Tehuas  and  their  homes,  cut  off  their 
warriors  from  their  village,  and  secure  complete  triumph. 
But  before  he  could  order  such  a  change  of  tactics  he  ought 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  397 

to  know  something  definite  from  the  quarter  where  the 
fight  had  begun.  To  send  a  runner  seemed  unadvisable, 
for  he  thought  it  unsafe  to  lessen  the  forces  around  him,  if 
only  by  a  man.  Several  of  his  companions  had  approached, 
startled  by  the  sudden  noise.  He  motioned  them  to  return 
to  their  posts. 

The  noise  of  the  battle  diminished ;  then  it  broke  out 
anew  and  sounded  nearer.  It  seemed  to  extend  to  the 
east.  In  the  west  and  north  everything  remained  quiet ; 
the  enemy  appeared  to  be  entirely  southwest  and  east  of 
the  little  army  which  Tyope  commanded.  He  felt  relieved, 
and  a  grim  satisfaction  crept  over  his  mind.  He  thought, 
surely  the  Tehuas  have  committed  a  grave  mistake. 

If  only  his  people  would  report  to  him  !  Now  at  last ! 
The  bushes  rattled,  and  a  man  stepped  up.  In  a  tone  of 
intense  agitation  he  said,  — 

"  Where  is  the  war-chief  ?  " 

"  I  am  here,"  replied  Tyope  in  a  muffled  voice,  motion 
ing  the  warrior  to  lie  down.  The  latter  either  failed  to 
notice  the  gesture  or  misunderstood  it,  and  walked  on  up 
right.  Something  whizzed  through  the  branches  of  the 
shrubs ;  the  messenger  bent  as  if  suddenly  folded  up ;  he 
grasped  at  his  stomach  with  his  hand,  and  tumbled  to  the 
ground.  Tyope  stood  by  his  side  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye.  The  shaft  of  an  arrow  was  sticking  in  his  body, 
and  in  vain  did  the  wounded  man  try  to  pluck  it  out. 
Regardless  of  the  horrible  pain  the  unfortunate  one  was 
suffering,  bent  upon  catching  the  drift  of  his  message  be 
fore  the  soul  could  escape  the  tortured  body,  Tyope  almost 
lay  down  on  the  groaning  man. 

"  What  news  do  you  bring  ?  Speak  !  "  he  hissed  into  his 
ear. 

The  wounded  warrior  moaned,  moaned  again.  Tyope 
grew  wild. 


398  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Speak  !  "  he  growled,  and  shook  him  by  the  shoulder  so 
rudely  that  the  other  screamed. 

"The  Moshome,"  he  gasped,  "they  —  they  —  have  come 
on  to  us."  A  chill  went  through  his  body;  he  lay  there 
gasping,  incapable  of  speech. 

Tyope  was  frenzied;  he  again  shook  the  dying  man 
ruthlessly. 

"  Where  have  they  attacked  ?  "  he  roared. 

"  West." 

"  Have  they  killed  any  of  our  people  ?  " 
/  "  I  —  don't  —  know,"  breathed  the  poor  fellow.  His 
head  was  swaying ;  it  rolled  back  and  forth  on  the  ground. 
Tyope  could  not  obtain  any  further  reply.  So  he  crawled 
back  and  left  him  to  die.  The  Moor  had  done  his  duty ; 
the  Moor  might  go  to  Shipapu. 

Tyope  had  been  so  eager  to  secure  from  the  dying  man 
any  information  the  latter  might  still  be  able  to  impart,  that 
he  paid  no  immediate  attention  to  the  noise  and  uproar 
which  had  arisen  in  his  own  vicinity.  Almost  at  the  very 
moment  when  the  Queres  warrior  was  mortally  wounded, 
one  of  Tyope's  companions  despatched  one  of  his  arrows 
at  a  Tehua  whom  he  had  distinctly  seen  in  front.  This 
shot  he  accompanied  by  a  loud  yell.  The  foe  replied  to 
the  challenge  in  the  same  manner;  arrows  whizzed  and 
hissed  through  the  air,  crossing  each  other  and  tearing 
through  the  shrubbery  or  penetrating  the  trunks  of  trees 
with  dull  thuds.  The  fight  had  begun  here  too,  but  little 
if  any  damage  was  done  as  yet  by  either  side.  Most  of 
the  arrows  were  shot  at  random,  and  both  parties  whooped 
and  yelled.  Their  purpose  was  manifestly  to  frighten  the 
adversary  by  creating  an  exaggerated  impression  of  their 
own  numbers  and  strength. 

All  this  did  not  make  an  unfavourable  impression  upoh 
Tyope.  On  the  contrary,  as  soon  as  he  saw  that  the  en- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  399 

gagement  had  broken  out  in  his  rear  also,  he  felt  a  thrill  of 
pleasure  and  changed  his  plans  at  once.  He  believed  now, 
in  presence  of  the  attacks  made  by  the  Tehuas,  that  the 
latter  had  indeed  placed  all  their  men  between  him  and  the 
Rito,  and  that  consequently  the  road  to  the  Puye  lay  open, 
and  he  could  rush  up,  capture  the  women  and  children,  and 
hold  them  for  ransom.  But  he  must  move  swiftly  and 
energetically,  leaving  the  fight  to  go  on  as  best  it  might. 
By  advancing  with  a  part  of  his  forces,  first  to  the  west  and 
then  straight  to  the  north,  Tyope  might  execute  his  plan  of 
leaving  enough  men  behind  to  make  a  desperate  stand 
against  the  Tehuas  here.  Without  the  consent  of  the 
Hishtanyi  Chayan,  however,  he  felt  unauthorized  to  adopt 
decisive  measures.  So  he  again  crept  over  to  the  shaman 
and  communicated  his  plans  to  him.  To  his  delight  the 
old  man  rose  and  said, — 

"  It  is  well.     Let  us  go." 

It  was  daylight  now,  and  everything  could  be  plainly 
seen.  The  extended  skirmishing  went  on  with  less  ardour 
than  before,  neither  party  pressing  the  other  very  closely. 

Tyope  glided  back  to  one  of  his  men.  An  arrow  well 
directed  struck  the  ground  very  near.  Whispering  into  his 
ear  the  change  of  programme,  Tyope  took  off  his  shield, 
turned  it  toward  the  enemy,  and  rose  on  his  right  knee. 
Fastened  to  the  left  arm  and  resting  on  the  ground  with  its 
lower  rim,  the  shield  covered  the  kneeling  man  almost  com 
pletely.  The  left  hand  held  the  bow,  and  the  weapon 
slightly  protruded  from  behind  the  protecting  target.  Ty 
ope  then  pushed  his  body  forward  from  behind  the  bush 
where  he  had  been  crouching. 

Hardly  was  the  shield  visible  when  its  owner  felt  a  sud 
den  blow  against  it,  and  the  point  of  an  arrow  came  through 
the  hide.  The  shot  must  have  come  from  a  short  distance, 
or  it  would  not  have  pierced  the  shield.  Ere  Tyope  dis- 


400  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

covered  whence  it  came,  his  companion  had  discharged  his 
bow,  and  with  a  loud  whoop  hurled  himself  forward,  where 
he  fell  headlong  behind  a  little  tree.  Wild  yells  sounded 
from  the  Tehuas,  and  several  of  their  warriors  rushed  up  to 
the  spot ;  branches  rattled  and  bushes  shook  as  the  men 
brushed  past  them.  Tyope  had  an  arrow  ready,  and  he 
despatched  it  at  one  of  his  foes.  He  pulled  another  from 
the  quiver  without  looking  to  see  whether  the  first  had  struck 
a  mark  or  not,  darted  up,  and  with  a  shout  bounded  ahead 
to  encounter  the  enemy.  A  shot  grazed  his  right  hand, 
scratching  the  wrist  and  causing  him  to  drop  his  arrow. 
For  a  time  the  arm  was  numb,  but  Tyope  heeded  it  not. 
Where  the  man  who  had  stood  beside  him  had  fallen,  a 
number  of  warriors  from  both  sides  were  wrangling.  A 
Queres  lay  dead  on  the  dead  body  of  a  Tehua  whose  scalp 
he  had  intended  to  secure.  Two  of  his  brethren  were  defend 
ing  his  corpse  against  half  a  dozen  Tehuas.  Tyope's  right 
wrist  had  been  paralyzed  by  the  arrow-shot,  but  he  raised 
his  arm  and  flung  the  war-club  that  dangled  from  it  against 
the  head  of  the  nearest  foe.  The  blow  was  too  feeble, 
and  Tyope  grabbed  the  man's  hair.  Arrows  whizzed  and 
shrieked  past  the  fighting  group ;  shrill  yells  and  wild  howl 
ing  sounded  from  every  quarter.  The  contending  parties 
exchanged  insulting  cries  and  abusive  words  in  both 
languages. 

The  Tehua  whom  Tyope  had  grabbed  by  the  hair  made 
desperate  lunges  at  him  from  below  with  a  sharply  pointed 
arrow.  He  succeeded  in  slightly  wounding  him  in  several 
places.  Tyope  kicked  him  in  the  abdomen,  causing  him  to 
double  up  at  once.  Regardless  of  the  pain  in  the  right 
hand  Tyope  succeeded  in  grasping  the  war-club  at  last. 
With  it  he  directed  several  blows  at  the  head  of  the  enemy, 
but  they  were  so  weak  that  only  at  the  third  stroke  did  the 
Tehua  fall.  At  this  juncture  an  arrow  grazed  Tyope's  tem- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  40! 

pie.  He  looked  up,  and  saw  that  he  had  been  very  impru 
dent  in  yielding  so  far  to  ardour  and  excitement  as  to  mingle 
with  his  men  in  a  strife  for  the  possession  of  a  single  scalp, 
and  thus  expose  unduly  his  own  person.  He  began  to 
think  of  withdrawal  into  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Hish- 
tanyi  Chayan,  but  it  was  not  easy  to  extricate  himself. 
Warding  off  a  blow  aimed  at  his  skull,  with  his  shield  he 
pushed  it  into  the  face  of  the  new  assailant  with  sufficient 
force  to  cause  the  man  to  stagger.  Then  he  shouted  a  few 
words  to  his  own  men,  turned  around,  and  rushed  back  to 
his  tree,  where  he  fell  down  at  full  length,  exhausted  and 
bleeding.  The  other  Queres,  two  in  number,  followed  his 
example,  and  the  Tehuas  did  not  pursue.  The  result  was  ~ 
so  far  favourable  to  the  Queres  that  they  lost  but  one  man 
and  the  Tehuas  two  ;  but  the  scalp  of  the  dead  man  from 
the  Rito  remained  with  the  enemy. 

When  Tyope  had  recovered  his  breath,  he  sneaked  back 
to  where  he  had  left  the  shaman.  As  he  approached  the 
spot  he  heard  the  medicine-man  singing  and  beating  his 
drum.  It  was  a  very  good  sign  to  see  the  shaman  at  work 
with  such  enthusiasm;  still  Tyope  must  disturb  him. 

"  Sa  nashtio,"  he  cried,  "  we  must  go." 

"  Heiti-na  !  Heiti-na  !  "  shouted  the  praying  shaman, 
drumming  incessantly.  He  was  in  ecstasies.  His  uplifted 
eyes  sparkled;  he  paid  no  attention  to  what  was  around 
him. 

"  Sa  nashtio  yaya,"  Tyope  anxiously  insisted. 

"  Do  not  disturb  me,  let  me  alone  !  Heiti-na  !  Heiti-na  ! " 
cried  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  aloud. 

Tyope  was  in  despair.  Arrow  after  arrow  was  flying  past 
him,  rending  twigs  and  shattering  branches.  The  Tehuas 
shot  faster  than  the  Queres.  They  must  have  a  large  sup 
ply  of  missiles.  Every  shot  was  accompanied  by  trium 
phant  yells ;  the  enemy  was  growing  bolder. 

26 


402  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

,- ' 

Again  the  leader  tried  to  rouse  the  medicine-man  to  de 
cisive  action,  but  the  latter  only  shook  his  head  in  an  irri 
tated  manner  and  proceeded  with  his  song  louder  and 
louder.  At  last  he  dropped  his  drum,  jumped  to  his  feet, 
and  began  to  dance  and  to  stamp,  shaking  his  rattle  and 
wildly  yelling,  — 

"  Raua,  raua  !  Ho-a-a,  Heiti-na  !  Ho-a-a,  Heiti-na  !  " 
Then  he  stood  still,  and  looked  around  as  if  aroused  from 
a  dream.  At  the  sight  of  Tyope  he  remembered,  and 
spoke,  panting  still,  — 

"  It  is  well.  They  are  good,  Those  Above  !  We  will  do 
as  you  said  !  "  Heedless  of  missiles  he  walked  on  into  the 
forest.  Tyope  heaved  a  great  sigh  of  relief. 

A  small  whistle  made  of  bone  depended  from  Tyope's 
neck.  He  raised  it  to  his  lips  and  blew  a  shrill,  piercing 
blast.  The  warriors  in  his  neighbourhood  turned  their 
faces  toward  him.  He  beckoned  to  one  of  them  to  ap 
proach.  To  this  man  he  gave  directions  in  a  low  tone. 
They  were  to  the  effect  that  they  should  offer  the  most 
determined  resistance  to  the  enemy,  while  at  the  same  time 
they  were  to  retire  gradually  but  slowly  from  the  actual 
position,  as  if  yielding  to  pressure.  Their  sturdy  resistance 
was  to  cover  the  movements  of  the  main  body. 

Tyope  now  stealthily  crept  away  from  the  line  of  the 
fight.  Soon  he  met  a  group  of  his  people  who,  outside  ol 
the  range  of  missiles,  were  waiting  to  be  called  into  action. 
He  sent  the  majority  of  them  to  the  front  to  reinforce 
the  others.  Two  runners  were  despatched  to  the  south 
and  southwest  with  orders.  With  the  remainder  he  set 
out  slowly,  penetrating  deeper  into  the  timber.  He  thus. 
collected,  one  after  another,  the  various  groups  into  a 
fairly  compact  body,  always  sending  a  few  men  back  to 
reinforce  the  fighting  portions.  Over  one  hundred  men 
were  now  engaged  with  the  Tehuas.  The  remaindej 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  403 

moved,  as  Tyope  confidently  hoped,  upon  the  cave-dwell 
ings  of  the  unprotected  Puye  by  a  detour  which  would 
enable  the  Queres  to  avoid  the  rather  exposed  site  of 
Tzirege. 

A  tremendous  noise  from  the  south  indicated  that  a  hand- 
to-hand  encounter  was  going  on  there.  The  noise  lasted 
but  a  short  time,  then  it  subsided.  Shortly  afterward  a 
warrior  rushed  panting  up  to  Tyope. 

"  Nashtio,"  he  said,  "  the  Moshome  have  taken  five 
scalps." 

"Where?"  Tyope  snorted. 

"  There ;  "  he  pointed  southward. 

"  And  we  ?  " 

"Three." 

"  Have  the  people  gone  back?" 

"A  little." 

"  It  is  well.  Tell  the  men  to  come  still  farther  this  way, 
but  very  slowly." 

He  ordered  five  of  his  own  men  to  go  back  with  the  run 
ner  to  replace  the  five  whom  the  Tehuas  had  killed.  With 
the  rest  he  pushed  forward.  He  kept  beside  the  Hishtanyi 
Chayan,  and  both  walked  almost  at  the  head  of  their  little 
troupe.  Only  a  few  scouts  preceded  them,  so  completely 
safe  did  Tyope  feel  about  the  west  and  northwest. 

The  action  in  the  rear  seemed  to  lag.  A  wild  uproar 
broke  out  in  the  southwest  but  no  messenger  came  with  evil 
tidings.  The  Queres  maintained  themselves.  All  was  well. 

The  engagement  had  lasted  two  hours  already,  and  it 
might  continue  in  this  way  for  hours  more  without  coming 
to  a  crisis  in  the  mean  time.  Tyope  would  creep  up  to  the 
women  and  children  of  the  Tehuas.  In  case  the  rear-guard 
should  be  ultimately  destroyed  by  the  enemy  it  mattered 
little,  for  by  capturing  the  non-combatants  the  Queres  still 
remained  masters  of  the  situation.  Tyope  was  explaining 


404  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

all  this  to  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan ;  and  the  two,  in  conse- 
quence  of  their  conversation,  had  remained  behind  the  fore 
most  skirmish-line.  The  shaman  was  listening,  and  from 
time  to  time  grunting  assent  to  Tyope's  explanations. 

Suddenly  the  shrubbery  in  front  rattled,  and  moved  vio 
lently,  as  though  deer  were  endeavouring  to  tear  through 
it  at  full  speed.  At  the  same  time  there  arose  in  that 
very  west  which  had  been  so  still,  and  close  upon  the  two 
men,  a  fearful  war-whoop  uttered  by  many  voices.  Like 
wildfire  this  threatening  howl  spread  to  the  west ;  it  seemed 
to  run  along  an  arc  of  a  circle  from  the  northwest  to  the 
south.  The  warriors  in  front  came  running  back  in  dismay. 
Many  of  them  were  already  wounded.  One  reached  the 
spot  where  the  commander  and  the  shaman  were  standing 
spell-bound.  There  he  fell  to  the  ground  headlong,  blood 
flowing  from  his  mouth.  His  body  had  been  shot  through 
and  through. 

r-  However  great  his  surprise  at  that  completely  unexpected 
attack,  and  however  disastrous  it  must  be  to  all  his  plans, 
Tyope  not  only  did  not  lose  his  head,  but  rather  seemed  to 
grow  cool  and  self-possessed,  and  an  expression  of  sinister 
quiet  settled  on  his  features.  Yet  he  was  internally  far  from 
being  at  ease  or  hopeful.  He  blew  his  whistle.  Without 
regard  to  his  office  the  old  shaman  crouched  behind  a  shrub, 
where,  placing  his  shield  before  him,  he  listened  and  spied. 
The  medicine-man  had  imitated  Tyope's  example  ;  the  magi 
cian  was  now  turned  into  a  warrior  ! 

The  signal  given  by  the  war-chief  was  heard  by  very  few 
only,  for  the  yells  of  the  Tehuas  drowned  every  other  noise. 
The  enemy  this  time  rushed  up  without  any  preliminary  skir 
mishing,  and  the  surprise  was  so  sudden  that  the  Queres  were 
running  back  in  every  direction  with  their  foes  in  close  pur 
suit.  They  had  no  time  to  gather  or  to  hide.  Ere  Tyope 
knew  it,  his  men  were  far  away  in  his  rear,  as  well  as  a  num- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  405 

her  of  his  enemies  also.  To  his  left  he  noticed  one  of  his 
tribe  lying  on  the  ground  dead,  and  a  Tehua  standing  with 
both  feet  on  his  back,  cutting  and  jerking  at  the  scalp  of 
the  dead  man.  Tyope  was  alone,  for  the  medicine-man 
had  fled.  The  Tehua  was  so  intent  upon  securing  the  tro 
phy  that  he  had  not  seen  Tyope,  and  he  could  easily  have 
killed  him.  But  hurried  footsteps,  many  voices,  and  the 
shaking  of  bushes  in  front  showed  plainly  that  quite  a  nu 
merous  body  of  Tehuas  was  rapidly  coming  toward  him. 
His  own  life  was  too  precious  in  this  hour  of  terrible  need 
to  permit  exposure  for  the  sake  of  killing  one  enemy,  so  he 
turned  about  softly  on  his  knees.  The  Tehua  still  did  not 
pay  any  attention  to  him,  and  now  the  temptation  was  too 
great ;  he  quickly  placed  an  arrow  on  the  string  and  sent 
the  shaft,  thanks  to  the  short  distance,  between  the  ribs  of 
the  unsuspecting  foe.  Then  with  a  yell  of  triumph  and  de 
fiance  he  darted  off  in  the  direction  whither  his  men  had 
scattered. 

He  had  been  noticed  by  some  of  the  Tehuas  who  were 
coming  up  from  the  west,  and  without  delay  they  followed 
in  pursuit.  But  it  was  not  easy  to  overtake  a  man  like 
Tyope  when  fleeing  for  life.  The  powerful  onslaught  of  the 
Tehuas  had  scattered  the  Queres  in  such  a  manner  that 
friend  and  foe  were  intermingled  in  the  forest,  and  it  was 
not  safe  for  the  pursuers  to  shoot  at  the  fugitives,  who  were 
only  occasionally  visible  between  tree-trunks  and  bushes,  for 
the  arrow  might  have  struck  a  friend. 

Tyope  ran  so  fast  that  he  soon  left  his  pursuers  far  behind 
him.  When  he  noticed  that  their  shouting  sounded  more 
distant,  he  stopped,  crouched  under  a  bush  that  grew  near 
the  foot  of  a  large  tree,  and  listened  and  peered  again.  He 
was  breathless  from  the  rapid  flight,  and  his  heart  throbbed 
so  violently  at  first  that  he  could  not  clearly  distinguish 
sound  from  sound.  At  last  he  grew  quiet,  and  now  heard 


406  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

the  din  that  seemed  to  fill  the  entire  forest  in  every  direc 
tion  except  the  north.  It  was  nearest  toward  the  east  and 
south,  and  there  the  fight  seemed  to  concentrate.  Above 
the  shouting,  yelling,  whooping,  sounded  the  piercing  war- 
whistle.  There  could  be  no  thought  of  still  winning  any 
thing  like  success,  for  the  day  was  irretrievably,  disastrously 
lost.  To  save  as  many  of  the  survivors  as  possible  was  all 
that  could  be  done.  Tyope  would  have  raved,  had  it  been 
of  any  avail.  This  terrible  failure,  he  saw  clearly,  ruined  his 
prospects  forever.  He  wished  to  die,  and  despair  began 
for  the  first  time  in  his  life  to  fill  his  heart. 

The  noise  of  the  battle  was  now  approaching  rapidly  from 
the  east  and  south.  The  Tehuas  were  forcing  his  men  into 
a  confused  mass ;  it  was  no  longer  an  action,  it  was  becom 
ing  a  slaughter,  a  butchery  of  the  vanquished.  Tyope  felt 
as  if  chills  and  fever  were  alternately  running  through  him  ; 
his  people  were  without  head,  for  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  was 
useless  as  a  leader.  He  must  try  to  get  through,  and  as  it 
was  impossible  to  force  a  passage,  he  determined  to  steal 
through  at  all  hazards. 

A  number  of  Tehuas  had  passed  without  seeing  him,  in 
their  eagerness  to  reach  the  slaughter-pen  into  which  the 
timbered  plateau  above  the  Canada  Ancha  was  converted. 
Tyope  improved  the  opportunity  to  slip  from  one  tree  to 
another,  toward  where  the  greatest  uproar  was  heard.  Voices 
sounded  quite  near,  and  he  cowered  down  between  two 
cedars.  The  voices  came  nearer,  and  the  more  he  listened 
the  more  he  became  convinced  that  his  own  tongue  was 
spoken.  He  was  on  the  point  of  rising  and  going  up  to 
the  parties  who  spoke  Queres,  for  they  must  be  friends. 
He  distinctly  heard  his  name.  He  looked,  and  looked 
anxiously,  for  he  preferred  to  find  out  who  they  were  ere 
addressing  them.  As  they  came  closer  he  thought  he 
recognized  a  woman's  voice. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  407 

Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  voices,  and  at  last  a  group  of 
men  stood  out  between  the  trees.  They  were  warriors  of 
the  Tehuas,  and  in  their  midst  was  ?.  woman.  She  was 
speaking  to  one  of  them  in  the  language  of  the  Rito,  and 
all  around  her  seemed  to  be  attentively  listening.  He  stared 
at  her,  —  stared,  his  eye-balls  starting  from  their  sockets, 
his  face  colouring  and  then  becoming  almost  black.  Had 
anyone  seen  Tyope  at  that  moment  he  must  have  taken 
him  for  some  baffled  and  terrified  demon  from  the  nether 
world. 

He  felt  neither  indignation  nor  passion.  His  heart  stood 
still ;  so  wonderful  was  the  discovery  he  was  making  that 
he  was  benumbed,  body  and  soul !  For  that  woman  who 
so  confidently  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  enemies  of  her 
tribe,  and  who  spoke  to  them  with  an  air  of  assurance  bor 
dering  upon  authority,  uttering  his  own  name  time  and 
again,  was  Shotaye  ! 

Once  more  his  passion  came  back,  and  delirious  with 
rage  and  frenzied  with  fury  he  lifted  the  bow  with  the  ready 
arrow.  But  so  monstrous  was  the  sight  to  his  eyes  that  his 
hand  dropped  paralyzed,  and  he  was  unable  to  speed  the 
shaft.  He  stood  disarmed,  and  stared,  gaping  like  a  fiend 
in  despair  who  does  not  venture  to  oppose  his  master.  He 
understood  now  the  connection  of  events,  the  unexpected 
ambush.  He  saw  that  it  could  not  have  happened  other 
wise.  He  saw  it  clearly,  to  his  shame  !  The  woman  whom 
he  had  persecuted  for  years,  and  whom  he  was  certain  that 
he  should  destroy  utterly  at  the  end  of  this  campaign,  had 
outwitted  him  and  destroyed  his  plans  and  hopes  forever. 
Then  let  her  suffer  for  it !  He  raised  his  bow,  dropped  it 
again  and  stared.  It  was  not  pity  that  fettered  his  other 
wise  ruthless  hand ;  it  was  superstitious  fear.  That  Shot- 
aye  could  have  divined  all  his  secret  moves  and  could  have 
saved  herself  at  the  right  moment  filled  him  with  aston1 


408  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

ishment  and  gradually  with  invincible  dread.  She  was  no 
common  witch  !  Such  wonderful  insight,  such  clear  per 
ception  of  the  means  to  save  herself  and  at  the  same  time 
destroy  him,  were  not  human.  Rage  and  passion  disap 
peared  ;  a  chill  went  through  his  frame  and  his  lower  jaw 
hung  down  like  that  of  a  corpse,  as  he  stared  motionless, 
powerless  to  act  and  unable  to  move. 

A  change  came  over  Tyope,  —  a  change  so  sudden  and  so 
complete  that  he  was  henceforth  another  man.  Hope,  am 
bition,  revenge,  vanished  from  his  thoughts,  and  with  them 
all  energy  left  him.  The  appearance  of  that  woman  crushed 
him  utterly.  Shotaye  appeared  to  him  by  the  side  of  the 
great  war  shaman  of  his  enemies  like  some  fiend,  to  be  Gure, 
but  a  fiend  of  so  much  higher  rank  than  his  own  that  it  was 
futile  to  cope  with  her.  The  Indian  believes  in  evil  spirits, 
but  even  they  are  subjected  to  the  power  of  deities  of  a 
higher  order  beneficial  to  mankind.  As  such  a  shuatyam 
the  woman  appeared  to  Tyope,  —  as  one  whom  the  Shiuana 
had  directed  to  accomplish  his  ruin.  Those  Above,  not 
Shotaye,  not  the  Tehuas,  had  vanquished  him ;  and  against 
them  it  was  useless  to  strive. 

With  a  ghastly  look  of  terror  on  his  countenance,  his  eyes 
staring  in  uncontrollable  fright,  Tyope  slowly  receded. 
Mentally  crushed,  shivering  and  shuddering,  he  at  last 
turned  about  and  fled. 

The  conviction  that  he  was  henceforth  utterly  powerless 
had  seized  upon  him.  Like  an  utter  coward,  unmindful  of 
his  rank  and  duties,  and  bent  only  upon  saving  his  life, 
Tyope  ran  and  ran  until  he  found  himself  in  the  midst  of 
the  slaughter.  He  had  mechanically  warded  off  some  ar 
rows  which  the  enemy  had  shot  at  his  rapidly  approaching 
figure ;  but  he  passed  in  among  friends  and  foes,  heedless  of 
both,  until  his  mad  career  was  stayed  by  the  brink  of  the 
Canada  Ancha.  In  the  course  of  the  massacre  the  Queres 


'SHE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  409 

had  succeeded  in  breaking  partly  through  the  enemy,  and 
gathering  on  the  south,  thus  securing  a  line  of  retreat,  or  at 
least  escape  from  the  bloody  trap.  Tyope  had  reached 
that  point  without  knowing  well  whither  he  was  fleeing. 
The  sight  of  the  ravine  at  his  feet  stopped  him  ;  he  looked, 
around  absent-mindedly  at  first,  then  little  by  little  self- 
control  returned. 

A  man  came  up  to  him.  He  was  covered  with  blood. 
A  drum  was  suspended  from  his  shoulder.  It  was  the 
Hishtanyi  Chayan. 

"  How  is  everything?  "  Tyope  gasped. 

"  Where  have  you  been  ?  "  the  shaman  asked  in  a  tone 
of  stern  reproach. 

"  I  was  cut  off  and  had  to  hide,"  Tyope  flared  up ;  the 
manner  of  the  questioner  irritated  him,  and  with  his  anger 
a  portion  of  his  former  energy  seemed  to  return. 

"  Do  you  not  know  that  the  war- chief  should  carry  the 
life  of  his  men  upon  his  own  heart,  and  care  for  them 
more  than  for  himself  ?  That  he  should  not  hunt  for  scalps 
in  the  rear  of  the  enemy,  as  shutzuna  follows  a  herd  of  buf 
faloes  to  eat  a  fallen  calf  ?  "  the  Chayan  hissed. 

"  And  you,"  Tyope  roared,  "  do  you  not  know  that  you 
should  speak  the  truth  to  the  people  ?  Not  say  that  the 
Shiuana  are  good,  that  they  say  it  is  well,  while  the  kopish- 
tai  and  the  shuatyam  go  over  to  the  enemy  together  to  help 
him  !  You  are  a  liar  !  You  lie  like  a  Dinne  ;  you  are  fool 
ish  like  a  prairie  dog  when  shutzuna  plays  before  him  ! " 
It  was  Tyope's  last  effort  at  passion.  He  nearly  cried  from 
rage  as  he  brandished  his  war-club  in  the  face  of  the  shaman. 
The  latter  remained  calm  and  spoke  not  a  word,  merely 
fastening  on  the  maddened,  raving  man  a  cold,  stern  glance. 
Heedless  of  his  threats  and  insults  he  commanded,  — 

"  Hush,  Tyope,  hush  !  If  the  evil  ones  are  about  us  it  is 
because  they  have  followed  along  from  the  Tyuonyi !  Hush, 


410  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

I  say,  do  your  duty  at  last.  At  the  Tyuonyi,  if  we  ever  get 
there,  we  shall  see  further." 

At  this  moment  several  Queres  burst  from  the  timber. 
One  of  them  cried  to  Tyope,  — 

"  Nashtio,  the  Moshome  are  too  strong,  they  are  coming 
to  kill  you  and  all  of  us.  We  must  away  into  the  karitya  !  " 
And  with  this  he  leaped  from  the  brink.  He  had  selected 
a  spot  where  the  rim  was  precipitous  for  a  short  distance. 
Over  he  went !  A  cry  of  anguish  and  of  helpless  despair 
was  heard ;  then  followed  a  series  of  thuds,  as  though  a  heavy 
body  were  falling  from  step  to  step.  From  the  depths  be 
low  a  faint  moaning  arose.  Then  all  was  still.  The  din 
and  noise  of  the  battle  was  drawing  nearer  and  nearer ;  soon 
more  of  the  Queres  rushed  out  and  would  in  their  precipi 
tate  flight  have  followed  the  example  of  their  comrade  had 
not  others  coming  up  behind  them  held  them  back  Re 
gardless  of  the  danger,  they  clustered  together  on  the  brink, 
and  gazed  at  the  shattered,  mangled,  gory  mass  beneath, 
which  was  once  the  body  of  one  of  their  companions.  The 
words  of  the  shaman  fell  upon  Tyope  like  another  blow  from 
above.  They  cowed  him.  To  avoid  the  gaze  which  the 
old  man  fastened  upon  him  still,  he  turned  to  fly,  no  longer 
a  warrior,  no  longer  the  commander.  He  was  partly  im 
becile  and  absolutely  cowed.  He  trembled,  but  the  shaman 
seized  his  arm  and  restrained  him.  Pointing  to  the  men 
he  said, — 

"  Save  these  if  you  can. " 

Tyope  obeyed,  for  he  had  no  longer  a  will  of  his  own. 
He  cast  a  vacant  glance  about,  but  arrows  whistled  from 
the  timber;  the  Tehuas  were  coming.  Panic-stricken,  the 
Queres  ran  along  the  brink  to  look  for  a  descent.  There 
was  no  stopping  them,  no  possibility  of  restoring  order; 
every  one  looked  out  for  himself.  Tyope  cast  a  pleading 
glance  at  the  old  man  by  his  side,  and  the  Chayan  felt  thai 


DELIGHT  MAKERS.  411 

he  must  henceforth  do  what  was  yet  to  be  done.  Seeing 
the  Queres  clambering  down  into  the  gorge  in  wild  haste, 
and  that  others  were  still  rushing  out  of  the  thickets,  he 
caught  Tyope  by  the  shoulder  and  drew  him  along,  saying 
in  a  milder  tone,  — 

"  Follow  me,  sa  uishe."      He  pitied  the  crest-fallen  man. 

Henceforth  it  was  the  medicine-man  who  assumed  the 
lead,  Tyope  gathering  energy  enough  to  act  as  his  lieutenant. 
The  shaman  was  but  a  mediocre  warrior ;  still  in  this  dismal 
hour  he  was  the  only  salvation  of  the  remaining  Queres. 

Not  one  half  of  their  number  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
bottom  of  the  Caftada  Ancha  and  taking  shelter  in  the 
groves  of  tall  pines  that  dot  the  vale.  It  was  an  anxious 
time  for  those  who  had  already  found  safety  behind  trees, 
when  they  saw  the  stragglers  rush  down  the  rugged  slope 
and  tear  through  the  thickets,  followed  by  the  Tehuas,  who 
crowded  along  the  brink  in  greatly  superior  numbers,  yell 
ing,  shooting  arrows,  and  waving  triumphantly  the  many, 
many  scalps  they  had  taken.  A  few  of  their  skirmishers 
descended  some  distance,  but  the  main  pursuit  was  stayed 
by  strict  orders  from  the  Tehua  war-chief.  As  soon  as  the 
first  group  of  fugitives,  among  them  Hishtanyi  and  Tyope, 
had  reached  the  bottom  of  the  Canada,  the  shaman  arrested 
their  farther  flight,  prevailing  upon  them  to  make  a  stand. 

Their  position  was  temporarily  a  good  one.  No  approach 
was  possible  without  exposing  the  assailant  to  arrow-shots, 
whereas  the  defenders  were  thoroughly  protected. 

As  their  numbers  increased  by  accessions  from  those  who 
had  also  been  able  to  extricate  themselves,  their  courage 
returned,  and  they  willingly  remained  until  the  time  came 
when  the  shaman,  and  Tyope  by  his  command,  should  di 
rect  farther  retreat.  The  leaders  of  the  Tehuas  saw  this 
and  desisted  from  an  attempt  at  complete  extermination. 
It  would  have  cost  them  dearly,  and  would  only  have  in- 


412  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

creased  the  number  of  their  trophies.  So  the  Tehuas 
remained  above  the  gorge,  displaying  a  threatening  front, 
while  in  reality  the  majority  of  them  returned  home,  and 
with  them  Shotaye. 

Great  was  the  exultation  of  the  woman  when  she  saw  the 
triumph  of  her  new  friends  over  her  own  people.  She  was 
proud  of  this  result  of  her  craftiness  and  her  skill.  When, 
the  engagement  over,  she  scanned  the  field,  looking  at  the 
dead  and  searching  for  Tyope  among  them  in  vain,  her 
disappointment  was  fearful.  Corpse  after  corpse  she 
scrutinized,  turning  over  the  ghastly  bodies,  peering  into 
the  lifeless  features,  raising  the  mutilated  heads  to  see  more 
closely,  more  distinctly.  In  vain  ;  Tyope  was  not  among 
them,  Tyope  had  escaped.  Her  revenge  was  sterile  ;  it  had 
fallen  on  the  least  guilty.  She,  too,  felt  that  a  higher  hand 
must  have  interfered  and  made  her  triumph  next  to  worth* 
less.  As  she  scanned  the  bloody,  distorted  features  of  the 
men  of  her  tribe,  in  the  expectation  of  gloating  over  those 
of  him  against  whom  she  had  schemed,  she  recognized 
more  than  one  of  whose  company  she  had  agreeable  recol 
lections,  more  than  one  whom  in  her  cold-blooded,  calcu 
lating  way,  she  had  made  her  tool  for  a  time.  Something 
like  regret  arose  within  her,  —  regret  at  her  treason.  She 
went  back  to  the  Puye  with  a  sting  in  her  heart  forever. 
Outwardly  she  led  a  contented  life  as  the  consort  of  Ca 
yamo,  and  the  Tehuas  looked  upon  her  as  a  useful  accession, 
if  not  as  one  who  had  at  one  time  become  the  saviour  of 
their  tribe  ;  but  she  could  never  think  of  the  Rito  nor  hear 
it  mentioned  without  feeling  a  pang.  It  was  remorse,  but 
she  did  not  know  it.  Never  again  was  she  seen  by  any 
her  former  people. 


The  position  in  which  the  Queres  had  taken  refuge  was 
tenable  only  for  a  short  time,  because  the  Canada  Ancha 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  413 

has  no  permanent  water-supply.  There  were  a  few  pools, 
however,  containing  remnants  of  the  rain  that  had  lately 
fallen.  But  that  was  not  enough.  To  abandon  the  groves, 
in  which  they  felt  comparatively  safe  in  presence  of  the  foe, 
would  have  been  reckless;  so  the  Queres  remained  during 
the  whole  day,  while  the  Tehuas  kept  guard  over  them, 
observing  their  movements  from  the  cover  of  the  timber  on 
the  mesa.  As  night  set  in,  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  ordered 
a  slow,  noiseless  retreat  down  the  Canada  toward  the  Rio 
Grande.  Tyope  passively  did  what  the  shaman  told  him ; 
he  had  no  longer  a  will  of  his  own.  He  who  had  al 
ways  judged  others  from  the  stand-point  of  their  usefulness 
to  him  as  his  tools,  was  now  reduced  mentally  to  be  a  blind 
instrument  of  the  man  of  whom  he  expected  to  rid  himself 
on  this  very  campaign.  All  of  Tyope's  authority  was  gone ; 
the  men  did  not  reproach  him,  did  not  scorn ;  they  simply 
ignored  him,  except  when  he  spoke  in  the  name  and  by 
direction  of  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan.  The  latter  saw  more 
and  more  the  mental  downfall  of  the  war-chief,  and  took 
pity  on  him,  making  him  his  lieutenant  When  morning 
dawned,  the  little  troop  halted  on  the  Ziro  kauash.  They 
had  made  a  long  detour,  and  now  were  in  dread  lest  the 
Tehuas  had  prepared  an  ambush  near  home.  Tyope  him 
self  was  still  further  concerned.  He  who  had  boldly 
attempted  to  carry  out  the  most  daring  schemes,  was  afraid 
of  returning  to  his  people,  now  that  these  schemes  had 
failed.  He  feared,  like  a  child,  reproach  and  punishment. 
The  spirit  of  the  man  was  utterly  crushed. 

When  a  war- party  returns,  it  never  enters  the  village  di 
rectly,  but  halts  at  some  distance  and  sends  a  messenger  to 
inform  the  people  of  its  approach.  The  Queres  halted  on 
the  Ziro  kauash,  and  some  of  them  scoured  the  woods,  but 
no  trace  of  the  enemy  appeared.  The  dreaded  ambush 
had  not  been  laid  ;  the  Tehuas  had  certainly  returned  con- 


41 4  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

tent  with  victory  and  their  trophies.  A  runner  was  sent  to 
the  Rito,  and  the  men  waited  and  waited.  Even  the  Hish- 
tanyi  Chayan  became  startled  at  the  long  delay.  Tyope 
squatted  at  the  foot  of  a  tree ;  he  was  thinking  of  the 
reception  that  might  be  in  reserve  for  him.  Everything 
manly  and  strong  had  left  his  heart ;  nothing  of  it  remained 
but  a  languidly  putrid  core,  whose  former  fermentation  had 
produced  the  effervescence  that  took  the  shape  of  energy, 
shrewdness,  and  daring. 

At  last  toward  evening  a  man  approached  the  silent 
group.  He  came,  accompanied  by  the  runner,  and  every 
one  recognized  the  features  of  Kauaitshe,  the  delegate  from 
the  Water  clan.  He  went  straight  to  Tyope ;  and  the  latter 
looked  at  him  timidly,  almost  tremblingly.  Kauaitshe's 
face  looked  sad  and  mournful,  but  not  wrathful.  He  grasped 
the  hand  of  Tyope,  breathed  on  it,  lifted  it  upward  with 
both  his  hands,  and  said  in  a  tone  of  intense  sorrow,  — 

"  Satyumishe,  Those  Above  are  not  kind  to  us." 

A  terrible  pang  flashed  through  Tyope's  heart,  for  he  had 
experienced  how  little  the  Shiuana  liked  him. 

Kauaitshe  continued  in  a  low  voice,  —  artless,  but  the 
more  impressive  for  its  natural  sadness,  — 
r     "  While  you  went  to  strike  the  Tehuas  with  our  men,  the 
Moshome  Dinne  came  upon  us." 

A  shriek  of  dismay,  of  terror,  issued  from  every  one  pres 
ent,  Tyope  excepted.  He  only  groaned,  and  sinking  shriv 
elled,  pressed  down  his  chest  against  his  knees,  as  if  suffering 
intense  physical  pain.  He  recalled  his  intrigues  with  the 
young  Navajo.  This  last  blow  to  the  tribe  was  his  work 
also. 

In  a  monotonous  voice  the  messenger  of  evil  tidings 
proceeded,  — 

"  My  hanutsh  is  no  more.  Tanyi  hanutsh  is  dispersed, 
scattered,  fleeing  through  the  timber.  Of  Mokatsh  hanutsb 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  415 

only  one  girl  has  remained  alive.  Of  Tyame  a  few  women, 
but  your  wife,  satyumishe,  is  dead ;  your  child  Mitsha  the 
Moshome  have  carried  away,  or  else  she  hides  in  the  timber 
and  starves.  The  great  house  is  empty,  and  fire  comes  out 
from  its  roof.  Your  people  can  have  the  field  of  Tzitz 
hanutsh,"  he  added  with  trembling  voice;  "we  need  it 
no  longer.  But  your  clan  has  land  enough  now,  for  many 
of  the  men  of  Shyuamo  have  gone  over  to  Shipapu  !  "  He 
dropped  Tyope's  hand,  wiped  away  the  tears  that  were 
forcing  themselves  to  his  eyes,  and  stood  in  silence.  Not 
one  of  the  by-standers  moved ;  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  lifted 
his  eyes  to  the  sky,  Tyope  stared  vacantly.  He  seemed  to 
stagger.  The  delegate  from  the  Water  clan  grasped  his 
hand  again,  and  said,  — 

"  Come  and    see    how    the    Shiuana   have  visited  the 
Tyuonyi." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

IT  is  contrary  to  the  custom  of  the  Indians  for  a  war-party 
to  enter  their  village  at  once  upon  returning.  For  at  least 
one  day  the  warriors  must  wait  at  some  distance  from  the 
pueblo.  They  are  provided  with  the  necessaries  of  life,  and 
afterward  are  conducted  to  the  village  in  triumph.  In  the 
present  case  all  these  formalities  were  neglected,  but  not 
through  spite  or  disapproval ;  the  terrible  visitation  which 
the  Rito  had  suffered  changed  everything ;  the  survivors  of 
the  Queres  were  anxious  to  have  their  numbers  increased 
by  the  returning  warriors. 

Mechanically  Tyope  accompanied  his  guide.  The  war 
riors  followed  in  sullen  silence,  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  alone 
holding  his  head  erect.  The  visitation  from  above  affected 
him  least  of  all.  No  one  asked  about  the  details  of  the 
Navajos'  attack,  but  all  feared  the  moment  when  their  valley 
homes  should  come  in  sight.  As  they  neared  the  brink  of 
the  gorge  many  lagged  behind. 

Tyope  was  filled  with  thoughts  of  the  most  dismal  nature. 
He  felt  wretched,  crushed,  almost  distracted  !  The  news 
brought  by  Kauaitshe  weighed  him  down  in  a  manner  that 
allowed  neither  hope  or  quietude.  His  plans  had  become 
realized,  but  how?  The  loss  of  his  wife  he  hardly  felt,  so 
much  the  more  did  he  regret  Mitsha's  disappearance.  But 
far  above  all  this  loomed  up  the  terrible  consequences,  less 
of  the  defeat  than  of  the  blow  which  the  Navajos,  following 
the  instructions  he  had  once  given  Nacaytzusle,  had  struck 
during  his  absence.  He  had  done  most  toward  bringing 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  417 

about  the  expedition  to  the  Puye ;  therefore  he  had  led  the 
flower  of  the  tribe  into  perdition.  During  his  absence  and 
that  of  the  majority  of  its  defenders  the  Navajos  had  exe 
cuted  the  fatal  surprise.  He  had  often  been  reproached 
with  his  intimacy  with  the  young  Dinne,  and  while  the 
savage  remained  at  the  Rito  everybody  knew  that  the  boy 
was  a  favourite  of  his.  What  else  could  the  caciques,  the 
leading  shamans,  infer  but  that  the  savage  had  been  able  to 
select  his  time,  and  that  he,  Tyope,  had  betrayed  the  tribe 
to  the  Dinne  ?  And  the  worst  of  it  was,  it  was  true  !  He 
had  at  one  time  suggested  the  plan  and  had  abandoned  it 
afterward  as  too  dangerous.  He  had  suggested  it  with  the 
view  of  furthering  his  personal  ends.  Now  its  execution 
took  place  when  he  least  expected  it,  and  when  the  very 
event  which  he  had  prepared  for  his  benefit  struck  the  most 
crushing  blow  he  could  ever  have  imagined  possible  for  him 
to  have  suffered. 

Had  Tyope  returned  from  the  campaign  victorious,  it 
might  have  been  different ;  but  now  the  Shiuana  bore  down 
upon  him  with  crushing  power;  there  was  no  hope  nor 
thought  of  his  ever  rising  again.  The  best  he  could  ex 
pect  was  to  be  set  aside  forever  as  a  broken,  useless 
unfortunate. 

But  the  Koshare  still  remained,  and  they  would  not  for 
sake  him  in  the  hour  of  need.  The  Naua,  if  alive,  would 
certainly  not  permit  his  utter  ruin.  The  two  conspirators 
had  prevailed  upon  the  Hishtanyi  so  that  only  a  few  of  the 
Delight  Makers  accompanied  the  war-party.  Of  these,  two 
or  three  had  escaped.  How  had  the  majority  fared,  —  that 
majority  which  remained  at  the  Rito  for  prudence's  sake? 
Tyope  dared  not  ask  questions ;  he  went  along  mutely  as  if 
in  a  dream. 

The  Hishtanyi  Chayan  stopped  Kauaitshe,  and  asked 
him, — 

27 


41 S  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Have  any  of  my  brethren  the  yaya  suffered?  " 

Tyope's  heart  throbbed,  and  he  turned  his  face  away, 
so  fearful  was  he  of  the  reply. 

"The  Shkuy  Chayan,"  replied  Kauaitshe,  in  his  simple 
manner,  "is  dead.  An  arrow  entered  his  eye." 

Tyope  shivered;  misfortune  crowded  upon  misfortune. 
He  could  no  longer  resist  inquiring.  Panting,  he  asked,  — 

" Is  our  father  the  Naua  still  alive?  " 

"  He  lives  and  mourns.  After  you  were  gone  with  the 
people,  he  retired  to  the  place  in  the  cliffs  with  the 
Koshare;  and  when  the  Moshome  came,  nearly  all  the 
men  were  up  there." 

Tyope's  head  was  swimming.  Everything  he  had  pre 
pared  for  the  destruction  of  others  and  the  security  of 
his  own  tools  had  come  about  as  he  had  schemed,  but 
the  results  had  been  fatal  to  him  and  his.  The  Shiuana 
allowed  him  to  apparently  succeed  in  everything,  but  they 
reserved  for  themselves  the  final  results.  It  was  terrible ; 
all  was  lost ;  he  was  forever  undone. 

Still  if  the  Koshare  had  been  at  their  estufa,  they  were 
out  of  harm's  way. 

" Satyumishe,"  he  asked,  faltering,  "have  many  of  my 
brethren  perished?" 

"Nearly  all,"  was  the  plain  answer.  "When  the  Dinne 
came  upon  us,  the  Koshare  rushed  out  after  bows  and 
arrows ;  but  the  Moshome  met  them  before  they  could 
reach  the  houses,  and  killed  many  before  they  could  get 
into  the  cave." 

The  poor  man  had  to  cling  to  a  tree  for  support ;  then 
he  slipped  down  along  its  trunk  to  the  ground. 

"  I  am  very  tired,"  he  murmured.  It  was  not  fatigue, 
however ;  it  was  the  ghastly  tidings  which  were  poured  on 
his  head,  so  slowly,  so  surely,  with  such  deadly  effect 
Kauaitshe  looked  at  him  with  genuine  pity.  The  Hish- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  419 

tanyi  said  nothing ;  he  was  in  his  thoughts  with  Those 
Above,  and  hardly  listened  to  the  conversation.  Kauaitshe 
extended  his  hand  to  Tyope. 

"We  are  not  far  from  the  brink,"  said  he,  kindly; 
"come,  satyumishe,  a  few  steps  only,  and  you  may  rest, 
and  I  will  tell  you  all,  —  how  the  attack  came,  and  how 
Hayoue  saved  the  Zaashtesh  from  being  all  driven  into 
the  woods.  Hayoue  is  a  mighty  warrior ;  he  is  wise  and 
very  strong.  As  soon  as  our  mourning  is  over,  the  Hot- 
shanyi  will  make  him  maseua  in  place  of  our  father  To- 
panashka.  The  Shiuana  have  left  us  Hayoue ;  had  he 
gone  with  you  not  one  of  us  would  be  alive." 

Even  that !  Hayoue  !  Hayoue,  whom  Tyope  had  left 
behind  in  order  to  deprive  him  of  ail  opportunity  to  dis 
tinguish  himself !  Hayoue  had  reaped  laurels,  whereas  he 
had  harvested  only  shame,  disgrace,  destruction.  Hayoue 
was  a  great  warrior.  He  had  averted  a  part  at  least  of 
the  disaster  which  Tyope  had  secretly  prepared  for  the 
tribe.  The  hand  of  Those  Above  weighed  heavily  upon 
him ;  all  he  cared  for  henceforth,  all  he  could  hope  for, 
was  not  to  suffer  the  rightful  doom  which  he  had  intended 
for  Shotaye. 

That  Kauaitshe,  the  poor  simple  man  whom  he  so  dis 
dainfully  rebuked  at  the  council,  had  been  selected  to 
communicate  to  Tyope  all  this  crushing  news,  the  latter 
did  not  interpret  as  an  intentional  cruelty.  The  Indian 
is  not  malicious.  He  will  insult  and  exult  over  the  van 
quished  foe  in  the  heat  of  passion;  but  he  will  take  the 
scalp  and  keep  it  very  carefully,  respect  it,  and  to  a 
certain  extent  the  memory  of  the  slain.  But  to  sneer  at 
and  taunt  a  fallen  adversary  in  the  hour  of  sadness,  and 
in  the  condition  in  which  Tyope  was,  is  not  the  Indian's 
way.  That  was  not  what  made  Tyope  suffer.  What  over 
powered  his  faculties,  darkened  his  mind,  and  deprived 


420  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

''  him  of  energy  for  all  time  to  come,  were  the  results  that 
crowded  upon  him  so  wonderfully,  so  completely  at  vari 
ance  with  his  own  intentions.  And  yet  they  were  strictly 
the  consequences  of  what  he  had  schemed  and  done. 
Everything  he  had  thought  of  and  planned  had  taken 
place,  but  the  results  did  not  coincide  with  his  expecta- 

i  tions.  Those  Above  alone  could  have  directed  the  course 
of  events  ;  they  were  against  his  doings  ;  he  was  a  doomed 
man. 


The  reader  will  forgive  a  digression.  We  will  leave 
Tyope  and  his  companions  on  the  brink  of  the  Rito, 
and  abandon  them  for  a  while  to  their  sombre  thoughts  ; 
nay,  we  will  leave  the  Rito  even,  and  transport  ourselves 
to  our  own  day.  I  desire  to  relate  a  story,  an  Indian 
folk-lore  tale  of  modern  origin,  which  is  authentic  in  so 
far  that  it  was  told  me  by  an  Indian  friend  years  ago  at 
the  village  of  Cochiti,  where  the  descendants  of  those 
who  once  upon  a  time  inhabited  the  caves  on  the  Rito 
^~de  los  Frijoles  now  live.  My  object  in  rehearsing  this 
tale  is  to  explain  something  I  have  neglected  ;  namely, 
the  real  conception  underlying  the  custom  of  taking  the 
scalp  of  an  enemy. 

The  Indian  friend  of  whom  I  am  speaking,  and  whose 
home  I  inhabited  for  quite  a  while,  came  over  to  the 
little  dingy  room  I  was  occupying  one  winter  evening. 
The  fire  was  burning  in  a  chimney  not  much  better  than 
the  one  Shotaye  possessed  at  the  Tyuonyi.  He  squatted 
down  on  his  folded  blanket,  rolled  a  cigarette,  and  looked 
at  me  wistfully.  I  felt  that  he  was  disposed  for  a  long 
talk,  and  returned  his  glance  with  one  of  eager  expecta 
tion.  Casting  his  eyes  to  the  ground,  he  asked  me,  — 

"  You  know  that  the  Navajos  have  done  us  much  harm  ?  " 

"  Yes,  you  and  your  brother  Shtiranyi  have  told  me  so." 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  421 

He  curled  his  lip  *i  the  reference  to  his  brother's 
knowledge,  and  said  sneeringly, — 

"  Shtiranyi  is  young ;  he  does  not  know  much." 

"  Still  he  told  me  a  great  deal  about  the  wars  you  had 
with  the  Moshome  Dmne." 

"  Did  he  ever  tell  you  of  the  hard  times  the  people  of 
Cochiti  suffered  three  generations  ago?" 

"  Never." 

"  He  knows  nothing  of  them.  He  is  too  young.  I,"  — 
he  assumed  an  air  of  solemn  importance,  —  "I  will  tell 
you  something ;  something  true,  something  that  you  can 
believe ;  for  the  old  men,  those  from  a  long  time  ago, 
tell  it,  and  what  they  say  is  so.  The  Mexicans  never 
hear  of  it,  and  to  the  Americans  we  don't  tell  such 
things,  for  they  think  they  are  too  smart,  and  laugh  at 
what  we  say." 

"  Is  the  story  really  true  ?  "  I  inquired,  for  I  saw  that 
something  interesting  was  coming. 

"  As  true  as  if  I  had  seen  it  myself.  But  I  was  not  born 
when  it  happened.  Cochiti  was  larger  then,  a  big  village, 
twice  as  big  as  it  is  to-day.  But  the  Navajos  were  very 
powerful.  They  attacked  us  in  the  daytime  in  the  fields. 
They  killed  the  men  who  went  to  gather  firewood,  and  they 
stole  our  cattle.  At  night  they  would  come  to  the  Zaashtesh 
and  carry  off  the  women  and  the  girls.  There  lived  at  the 
time  a  young  koitza  who  had  recently  married,  and  she  liked 
her  husband.  One  evening  after  dark  this  woman  went  to  the 
corral.  There  the  Moshome  seized  her,  closed  her  mouth 
with  their  hands,  dragged  her  from  the  village,  tied  and 
gagged  her,  and  placed  her  on  a  horse  ;  then  they  rode  off 
as  fast  as  they  could,  far,  far  away  to  the  northwest  and  the 
hogans  of  their  people.  The  young  woman  cried  bitterly, 
but  it  availed  her  nothing ;  she  had  to  live  with  one  of  the 
Navaios.  had  to  cook  for  him  and  work  his  corn-patch  like 


422  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

other  women.  Soon  the  koitza  saw  that  it  was  useless  to 
weep,  so  she  put  on  a  contented  look  in  the  daytime,  while 
at  night  she  was  thinking  and  scheming  how  she  might  es 
cape  from  the  enemy.  Women  are  sometimes  wiser  than 
we  are  ourselves.  Is  it  not  so,  sa  ukinyi?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"  It  was  springtime  when  she  was  captured.  She  suffered 
summer  to  pass,  worked  well,  and  appeared  satisfied.  The 
Moshome  began  to  trust  and  even  to  like  her.  It  began  to 
turn  cool ;  the  time  came  when  the  pinons  are  ready  for 
gathering,  and  the  captive  thought  of  flight.  One  morning 
she  said  to  a  young  woman  of  the  Navajos,  '  Let  us  go  and 
gather  pinon  ! '  Both  women  went  to  work  and  prepared 
food  for  several  days,  then  they  went  out  into  the  timber 
far  away  until  they  came  to  a  place  where  there  were  many 
pinon-trees.  There  they  gathered  nuts,  and  placed  them 
on  the  blankets ;  and  as  noontime  came  on,  and  it  became 
warm,  the  young  Navajo  woman  grew  sleepy.  So  the  koitza 
from  Cochiti  said,  '  Sister,  lay  your  head  on  my  lap,  I  will 
cleanse  your  hair.'  As  the  other  was  lying  thus  and  the 
Queres  woman  cleansed  her  head,  she  fell  asleep.  There 
upon  the  captive  took  a  large  stone,  crushed  her  skull  with 
it,  and  killed  her.  Was  not  that  very  wise  ?  " 

"  Indeed,"  I  uttered,  but  thought  to  myself  that  the  ac 
tion  was  not  very  praiseworthy  from  our  point  of  view. 

"  Then  our  koitza  took  a  knife,  scalped  the  dead,  and 
concealed  the  scalp  under  her  skirt.  It  was  now  toward 
evening.  All  at  once  the  woman  heard  a  voice  calling  to 
her,  '  Sister  ! '  She  was  frightened,  and  looked  about,  but 
saw  nobody.  She  lay  down.  Again  a  voice  spoke  close  to 
her,  '  Sister,  stay  here  no  longer,  they  are  uneasy  ! '  Noth 
ing  was  to  be  seen,  and  the  woman  began  to  feel  afraid.  For 
the  third  time  the  same  voice  said,  '  Do  not  fear,  sister ;  it  is 
I,  the  ahtzeta,  which  speaks  to  thee.  Go  now,  for  the  men 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  423 

are  saddling  their  horses  to  look  for  us.'  The  captive  gath 
ered  hastily  as  much  food  as  she  could  carry  with  ease  ;  and 
as  the  sun  went  down  the  scalp  spoke  again,  '  It  is  time  to 
go,  for  my  people  are  on  their  way  hither,  and  it  is  far  to 
Cochiti.'  So  she  ran  and  ran  all  the  night  long,  and  al 
ways  straight  toward  our  pueblo.  Toward  morning  she  felt 
tired,  and  the  scalp  spoke,  '  Lie  down  to  rest,  it  is  far  yet  to 
your  people.'  She  slept,  but  soon  woke  again  feeling  fresh 
and  bright.  Then  the  ahtzeta  said  to  her,  '  Let  us  go  now, 
for  soon  the  Dinne  will  be  where  you  took  me  and  where  I 
became  yours.'  On  she  ran,  eating  pinons  as  she  went. 
At  noon  the  scalp  was  heard  to  say,  '  My  men  have  found 
the  place,  and  are  searching  for  your  tracks.  You  must  go 
faster.'  When  the  sun  set  the  ahtzeta  spoke  again,  'Run, 
sister,  they  have  found  the  trail  and  follow  it  on  horseback.' 
Thus  she  went  all  night  long,  and  the  nearer  she  came  to 
Cochiti  the  more  the  scalp  urged  her  to  quicken  her  speed, 
for  the  Navajos  were  coming  nearer  and  nearer.  You 
know,"  asked  he,  "where  the  sand-hills  are,  a  little  this 
side  of  Cuapa?  " 

I  assented ;  that  whole  track  is  nothing  but  sand  and 
drift,  but  which  particular  hills  he  meant  I  could  not  of 
course  imagine.  Still,  the  Indian  knows  every  foot  of  the 
country,  and  he  supposed  that  I,  having  been  over  the  trail 
two  or  three  times,  recollected  every  detail  of  it  as  well  as 
he  did  himself. 

"  You  know  also  that  there  are  junipers  right  there." 

Such  was  indeed  the  case.  Not  only  there,  but  all  over 
the  country. 

"  Well,  there,  about  two  leagues  from  Cochiti,  the  scalp 
spoke,  '  Sister,  they  are  quite  near ;  hide  yourself."  The 
woman  looked  around,  but  she  saw  no  other  hiding-place 
except  the  junipers.  You  know  them,  they  are  to  the  left 
of  the  trail." 


424  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

I  nodded  of  course.  There  are  a  great  many  to  the  left 
of  the  trail. 

"  Then  the  scalp  told  her, '  Crawl  into  a  rabbit-hole  under 
the  tree.'  You  know  the  hole,  don't  you  ?  " 

I  said  yes  to  this  query  also.  Around  Cochiti  there  are 
perhaps  hundreds  of  rabbit- burrows ;  and  it  might  have  been 
one  of  those,  although  after  a  full  century  a  rabbit's  hole  is 
not  supposed  to  be  apparent.  The  narrator  was  satisfied, 
nevertheless,  for  I  had  assented. 

"  It  is  well ;  but  as  the  woman  looked  at  that  hole  she 
was  frightened  and  replied,  '  It  is  too  small.'  '  Creep  into 
it,'  ordered  the  scalp.  '  I  cannot  even  get  my  head  into  it,' 
objected  the  koitza  from  Cochiti.  '  Creep  in  quick,  they 
come  ! '  the  scalp  cried.  The  woman  tried,  and  the  open 
ing  became  larger  and  larger.  First  she  found  room  for 
her  head,  afterward  for  her  shoulders ;  lastly  her  whole  body 
was  inside.  As  soon  as  she  was  within,  the  hole  closed 
again  and  appeared  as  small  as  before.  Was  not  that 
wonderful?" 

I  thought  it  was  strange  indeed,  exceedingly  wonderful. 
I  could  not  refrain  from  asking  my  friend,  — 

"  But  was  it  really  so  ?  " 

"  So  the  old  men  are  telling,  those  from  many  years  ago. 
It  must  be  true.  Therefore  don't  disturb  me  in  my  speech, 
and  listen.  The  Navajos  came  on.  They  saw  that  the 
tracks  stopped.  They  jumped  from  their  horses,  and  the 
woman  heard  them  go  about  searching,  complaining,  howl 
ing,  scolding.  At  last  they  mounted  their  horses  again  and 
rode  off.  When  all  was  quiet  the  scalp  spoke,  '  Sister,  they 
have  gone ;  get  out  now  and  let  us  return  to  your  people.' 
With  this  the  hole  opened  ;  the  woman  crept  out  and  ran 
and  ran  as  fast  as  she  could.  When  she  reached  the  Canada 
de  la  Peralta,  the  scalp  spoke  for  the  last  time,  saying  to  her, 
'  Sister,  now  you  are  safe  ;  henceforth  I  shall  speak  no  more.' 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  42$ 

And  so  it  was.  On  the  other  side  of  the  ravine  stood  her 
own  husband.  He  recognized  her  at  once.  They  went  to 
gether  to  the  houses,  where  she  lived  for  many  years." 

He  paused  and  looked  at  me,  scanning  my  face  to  see 
the  impression  made  by  his  tale.  Then  he  continued,  — 

"  You  see  now,  sa  uishe,  how  the  scalp  saved  her  to  whorn 
it  belonged.  Therefore  we  take  ahtzeta,  for  as  long  as  the 
spirit  is  not  at  Shipapu  it  follows  him  who  has  taken  the 
scalp,  and  serves  and  helps  him.  And  the  strength,  wisdom, 
and  knowledge  of  him  whose  scalp  has  been  taken,  here 
after  belong  to  the  man  who  took  it;  they  increase  his 
power  and  make  the  tribe  more  powerful." 

The  appearance  of  the  Rito  from  above  presented  at  first 
sight  nothing  startling.  From  the  tall  building  thin  films  of 
smoke  arose,  but  no  flames  were  visible.  The  house  of  the 
Corn  clan  seemed  inhabited,  for  people  stood  on  its  roof. 
As  the  returning  warriors  grouped  themselves  on  the  brink 
to  look  down  into  the  valley,  those  below  stood  still,  gaz 
ing  at  them.  Then  they  broke  out  into  a  plaintive  wail ; 
the  women  tore  their  hair,  shrieked,  screamed,  and  wept. 
The  men  above  gazed  and  listened  in  silence.  Very  few 
men  were  seen  in  the  vale.  The  tribe  of  the  Queres 
seemed  divided  into  two  parties,  the  women  lamenting 
below,  the  men,  like  dark,  blood-stained  statues,  standing 
high  above  them,  posted  on  yellowish  rocks  among  the 
shrubbery. 

Kauaitshe  told  Tyope  to  rest,  and  he  willingly  complied. 
His  figure  appeared  less  conspicuous  when  he  sat  down. 
Around  the 'two  the  others  gathered,  except  the  Hishtanyi, 
who  was  slowly  descending  the  slope  alone,  eager  to  hear 
the  story  of  the  people's  misfortunes.  Kauaitshe  began,  — 

"  It  was  yesterday,  and  the  sun  had  not  yet  come  up."  He 
heaved  a  deep  sigh.  "  All  the  Koshare  were  in  the  estufa 


426  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

over  there,"  he  pointed  at  the  cliffs  to  his  right ;  "  the 
makatza  and  our  koitza  were  grinding  corn ;  many  also  had 
gone  to  the  brook  to  wash  away  sadness  and  grief.  Most 
of  them,  mainly  those  of  Tanyi,  Huashpa,  and  our  women, 
bathed  higher  up  beyond  the  fields ;  some  farther  down. 
Shotaye  was  not  among  them ;  nobody  knows  what  has 
become  of  her." 

Tyope  twitched  nervously.  He  knew  where  the  woman 
had  gone. 

"Hayoue,"  the  man  from  Tzitz  proceeded,  "was  the 
only  one  who  carried  weapons.  He  had  gone  out  very 
early  with  Okoya,  the  youth  from  Tanyi  who  is  his  brother's 
child.  They  had  started  while  it  was  yet  night,  following 
the  tshinaya  up  to  the  top  of  the  rocks.  As  soon  as  it 
became  light  they  noticed  tracks  and  heard  sounds  that 
told  them  that  there  were  Moshome  about.  They  went 
around  by  the  south,  and  as  it  began  to  dawn  they  stood 
there ;  "  he  pointed  to  a  spot  on  the  southern  mesa  directly 
opposite  the  big  house  and  facing  the  latter.  "  That  saved 
us,"  he  cried ;  "  if  Hayoue  had  not  stood  there  to  watch,  we 
should  all  have  died  ! " 

r  Tyope  could  not  help  contrasting  the  watchfulness  of 
Hayoue  with  his  own  supercilious  negligence.  Yes  indeed, 
it  was  all  over  with  him ;  he  was  good  for  nothing  any 
more. 

"I  was  in  the  katityam,"  Kauaitshe  went  on,  "when  I 
heard  the  yells  of  the  savages  in  the  corn  below.  They  had 
concealed  themselves  there  over  night,  and  as  soon  as  the 
people  came  forth  from  their  homes  unarmed,  not  thinking 
of  any  danger,  they  rushed  upon  them  and  into  the  big 
house.  I  grasped  uishtyak  and  the  club,  and  ran  for  the 
stream.  There  everybody  was  screaming ;  some  were  run 
ning  this  way,  others  fled  that  way,  but  none  could  get  back 
to  the  cliffs,  none  into  the  houses,  for  the  Moshome  stood 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  427 

between  them  and  their  homes.  They  fled  toward  the 
south  into  the  kote  as  a  mountain  sheep  runs  from  the 
panther.  But  as  tyame  shoots  down  upon  a  hind,  so 
the  enemies  flew  after  them,  scattering  them  in  every  direc 
tion.  All  this  happened  so  quickly,  brother,  that  I  was  not 
half  way  down  when  it  was  over,  and  a  few  of  the  Dinne 
rushed  up  to  kill  me.  They  were  going  to  the  caves  to 
slaughter  the  people.  I  ran  back  and  hid  myself,  and  as 
they  came  up  I  shot  at  one  of  them  so  that  he  died.  The 
Cuirana  Naua  killed  another;  the  others  ran  away.  We 
took  their  ahtzeta  and  kept  guard  over  the  caves,  but  for 
what?  There  was  nobody  left  of  Tzitz  hanutsh  except  a 
few  old  women  and  Ciay  Tihua,  the  little  boy.  Go  down 
we  could  not,  for  below  was  such  a  noise,  —  such  fighting, 
struggling,  shouting,  and  wailing  !  The  Moshome  tore  the 
firebrands  from  the  hearths,  set  fire  to  the  beams,  dragged 
the  cloth  and  the  hides  into  the  court-yard  and  burned 
them  there.  Fire  came  out  of  the  big  house,  and  great  was 
the  smoke  and  black  !  In  the  smoke  we  could  see  how 
the  shuatyam  were  dancing  on  the  roofs,  and  how  they 
threw  the  dead  down  upon  the  ground  so  that  their  bodies 
rattled  and  the  blood  spurted  and  spattered  everywhere. 
Satyumishe,  it  was  sad,  very  sad ;  but  I  could  not  help,  nor 
could  the  Naua,  for  we  were  alone.  Still  I  have  one  scalp," 
he  added  with  simple  satisfaction.  "  Hayoue  has  many, 
many  !  How  many  have  you  brought  home  ?  " 

Tyope  cast  his  eyes  to  the  ground. 

"  None,"  he  breathed ;  he  could  not  conceal  his  contri 
tion  and  shame.  Kauaitshe  made  no  remark.  He  was  not 
malicious. 

"  From  the  great  house  they  ran  into  that  of  Tyame 
hanutsh.  There  they  killed  your  wife." 

"And  Mitsha,  my  daughter?  "  Tyope  asked  at  last. 

"  Mitsha  was  at  the  brook,  and  fled  with  the  others.     Na- 


428  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

caytzusle,  the  fiend,  was  after  her  to  catch  her,  but  he  caughl 
her  not.  Hayoue  told  us  afterward  that  Okoya  Tihua  killed 
the  savage  just  as  he  had  overtaken  the  girl.  Okoya  is  strong 
and  good ;  he  will  become  a  great  warrior,  like  sa  umo  the 
maseua.  That  is,  if  he  still  live." 

(~  At  last  a  ray  of  light  seemed  to  penetrate  the  darkness 
that  shrouded  Tyope's  heart.  Nacaytzusle  was  dead  !  The 
dangerous  accomplice,  the  only  one  who  might  have  told 
about  Tyope's  attempted  conspiracy  with  the  Navajos,  was 
forever  silenced.  He  felt  relieved  also  to  think  that  Mitsha 
had  not  become  a  prey  to  the  savage,  and  it  pleased  him  to 
hear  Okoya  praised.  If  the  youth  had  still  been  at  the  Rito 
he  might  have  become  a  support  for  him. 

"Where  is  Okoya?"  he  anxiously  inquired. 

"In  the  mountains  or  dead,"  was  the  reply.  "When  the 
women  fled  up  to  the  mesa,  Hayoue  and  Okoya  ran  to  meet 
them.  But  the  Moshome  were  too  many,  and  the  two  be 
came  separated.  Okoya  killed  the  shuatyam,  the  Navajo 
boy.  He  went  close  to  him  and  struck  him  with  his  club 
till  he  died.  So  Hayoue  says.  Hayoue  remained  behind  ; 
he  kept  back  the  Dinne  and  then  came  down  through  the 
enemy  —  how  I  do  not  know  —  and  protected  the  kati- 
tyam,  helping  the  Koshare.  All  the  Moshome  who  entered 
the  house  of  the  Eagles  —  twelve  of  them  —  were  killed  in 
side  ;  their  scalps  are  with  us.  And  when  the  others  saw  it 
they  ran  out  of  the  big  house  ;  but  Hayoue  and  the  men  fol 
lowed  and  killed  nine  ere  they  could  hide  on  the  Kauash." 

"  So  you  have  taken  many  ahtzeta?  "  one  of  the  bystanders 
asked. 

Kauaitshe  began  to  count,  "  Eleven  —  two  —  twelve  — 
nine;  thirty-four,"  he  concluded,  adding,  "without  those 
that  Okoya  may  have  if  he  be  alive." 

An  exclamation  of  admiration  and  a  grunt  of  satisfaction 
sounded  from  the  lips  of  those  present.  But  they  became 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  429 

silent  and  sad  again  at  once,  for  they,  the  warriors,  had  only 
eight  or  nine  all  told. 

Kauaitshe's  pride  and  exultation  could  not  last  long.  He 
bethought  himself  of  the  losses,  and  continued  in  a  tone  of 
sadness,  — 

"  But  we  have  lost  many,  many.  Nearly  one  hundred  of 
our  people  have  gone  over  to  Shipapu,  and  twice  as  many 
are  now  in  the  woods,  hungry  and  forlorn,  or  the  Moshome 
have  taken  them  with  them.  Luckily,  they  are  mostly 
women.  Hardly  more  than  twenty  of  the  men  can  have 
died,  for  it  may  be  that  Okoya  is  still  alive.  Of  these, 
sixteen  were  Koshare ;  and  the  Shkuy  Chayan  is  no 
more."  He  cast  a  glance  of  sincere  pity  at  Tyope.  The 
latter  said  nothing,  and  all  the  others  stared  in  mournful 
silence. 

The  lamentations  below  had  gone  on  uninterruptedly. 
Corpses  might  be  seen  lying  on  the  roofs,  others  partly 
hanging  down  over  the  walls.  Two  men  were  carrying  a 
dead  body  toward  the  caves  of  the  Turquoise  people.  In 
the  distance  a  group  was  seen  dragging  another  corpse  up 
the  gorge.  Below  the  house  of  Yakka  hanutsh  there  stood 
a  group  of  men,  their  faces  turned  toward  the  brink  of  the 
mesa. 

The  nashtio  of  the  Water  clan  rose,  and  pointed  at  the 
group. 

"There  stand  Hayoue,  the  Shikama  Chayan,  the  three 
Yaya,  the  Hotshanyi,  Shaykatze,  and  Uishtyaka ;  and  see,  the 
Hishtanyi  Chayan  is  down  on  the  Tyuonyi  already,  and  goes 
up  to  them.  Let  us  go  now,  and  "  —  he  turned  to  Tyope  — 
"  you,  brother,  tell  us  what  you  have  achieved  and  how  you 
all  have  fared.  We  cannot  receive  you  as  it  behooves  us  ; 
there  is  too  much  mourning  on  the  Tyuonyi.  The  Shiuana 
have  punished  us  so  that  we  cannot  be  merry  and  glad. 
Therefore  I  have  been  sent  to  -eceive  you,  for  the  men  are 


430  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

few  in  the  vale  and  "  —  he  looked  around  as  if  counting  the 
bystanders  —  "  of  those  that  went  out  to  avenge  the  death 
of  our  father  not  many  have  come  back  either." 

In  dreary  silence  they  began  to  move  downward.  Not  a 
shout,  not  a  whoop,  heralded  their  coming ;  not  a  scalp  was 
waved  on  high  in  triumph.  In  dead  silence  those  below 
watched  the  sombre  forms  as  they  descended  slowly,  clam 
bering  over  rocks,  rustling  through  bushes,  and  coming 
nearer  and  nearer.  From  the  caves  issued  plaintive  wails ; 
from  the  big  house  moans  and  subdued  crying  ascended,  — 
the  lament  over  the  dead  on  the  Rito. 

More  than  a  week  has  elapsed  since  the  return  of  the  dis 
comfited  war-party  to  their  desolate  and  ravished  homes. 
It  is  August,  and  the  rains  have  fallen  abundantly.  What 
little  was  left  of  the  growing  crops,  what  the  torrent  has  not 
destroyed  and  the  Navajos  did  not  lay  waste,  looks  promis 
ing.  But  this  remainder  is  slight,  and  there  is  anxiety  lest 
the  surviving  inhabitants  may  starve  in  the  dreary  winter. 
The  formalities  of  mourning  have  therefore  been  performed 
hastily  and  superficially.  The  remaining  Koshare  have 
retired  into  the  round  grotto,  there  to  fast  and  to  pray  for 
the  safe  maturity  of  the  scanty  crops.  But  Tyope  is  not 
among  them.  His  accomplice,  the  Naua,  has  forsaken  him. 
He,  too,  has  become  convinced  that  everything  is  lost  for 
them,  ajid  he  has  thrown  away  Tyope  like  a  blunt  and  use 
less  tool.  Hereafter  the  Naua  attends  strictly  to  his  official 
duties,  and  to  nothing  beyond  his  duties.  For  the  Shkuy 
Chayan  is  dead,  the  Shikama  Chayan  has  no  love  for  him, 
and  the  old  Hishtanyi,  who  has  seen  more  of  the  real  nature 
of  events  than  any  on  the  Rito,  went  over  to  the  cave  of  the 
old  sinner  and  spake  to  him  a  few  words.  The  "  old  sinner  " 
comprehended  ;  he  has  gone  back  to  his  duties  and  attends 
to  them  exclusively. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  431 

Afterward  the  Chayan  called  upon  the  chief  penitent,  or 
Hotshanyi,  and  spoke  to  him  long  and  earnestly ;  after  him 
to  the  shaykatze  and  the  uishtyaka;  lastly  with  all  three 
yaya  together.  Then  the  yaya  went  into  retirement,  all  three 
in  the  same  place.  They  are  fasting,  doing  penance,  merci 
lessly  mortifying  themselves,  in  order  that  Those  Above  may 
forgive  the  tribe  and  suffer  it  to  prosper  again. 

All  this  has  taken  place  in  silence  and  secret,  and  noth 
ing  has  come  to  the  surface.  The  only  thing  that  has  be 
come  public  is  a  general  council,  not  merely  of  the  delegates 
of  clans  with  the  yaya,  but  of  the  tribe.  Hayoue  assisted, 
with  Zashue  his  brother.  Tyope  was  present  also,  but  he 
said  nothing,  and  nobody  requested  him  to  speak.  He  was 
not  outlawed ;  no  punishment  was  dealt  to  him ;  he  was 
simply  suffered  to  remain  on  that  lower  level  to  which  he 
had  naturally  dropped. 

The  principal  question  agitating  the  council  was  the  nomi 
nation  of  a  maseua,  or  head  war-chief.  The  caciques  inti 
mated  that  Hayoue  would  be  their  choice,  and  all  concurred 
in  the  selection.  But  Hayoue  positively  declined,  insisting 
that  his  clan  had  virtually  ceased  to  exist  on  the  Rito,  and 
that  it  was  his  duty  to  follow  his  people  in  their  distress. 
Zashue  also  spoke  to  the  same  effect.  His  wife  Say  Koitza 
and  his  children  had  disappeared,  even  to  the  little  girl, 
whose  brains  were  still  clinging  to  the  walls  of  the  big  house, 
against  which  the  enemy  had  dashed  her  head.  However 
much  the  people  insisted,  Hayoue  remained  firm  in  his  re 
solve  to  go  after  the  fugitives  and  to  save  them  if  possible. 
Most  of  the  people  thought  them  lost,  dead,  or  captives ; 
but  both  young  men  were  of  the  opinion  that  there  were 
too  many  of  them,  and  that  at  least  some  must  have  es 
caped.  It  was  consequently  the  duty  of  the  two  youngest 
survivors  to  trace  them  if  possible. 

The  Hishtanyi  Chayan  was  the  first  to  accede  to  Hayoue's 


432  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

demands,  but  conditionally.  He  insisted  that  when  their 
duties  were  fulfilled  Hayoue  and  his  brother  should  return 
to  the  Rito  with  the  rescued.  But  Hayoue  refused  to  con 
sent  even  to  this.  The  grounds  given  by  him  were  obvious, 
though  hard  to  listen  to.  In  case  they  found  a  few,  he 
promised  to  return ;  but  should  there  be  many  yet  alive  he 
was  determined  upon  founding  a  new  settlement.  He  re 
proached  the  council  bitterly  for  having  allowed  the  lack 
of  arable  soil  to  have  been  taken  as  a  pretext  for  de 
priving  his  own  small  clan  of  its  allotment  in  order  to  give 
it  to  a  larger  one.  That  small  clan  should  not  come  back 
and  again  be  in  the  way  of  the  others.  "  Tzitz  hanutsh," 
said  he  in  closing,  alluding  to  his  own  performances,  "  has 
saved  the  tribe ;  it  has  done  its  duty.  Now  we  will  go  and 
see  whether  our  brethren  and  sisters  are  still  alive ;  and  in 
case  we  find  them,  seek  for  another  spot  where  there  will  be 
sufficient  room  for  all." 

Every  one  present  did  not  understand  these  words ;  but 
the  members  of  the  council  knew  to  what  the  young  man 
was  alluding,  and  they  bowed  their  heads  in  shame.  Even 
the  Hishtanyi  Chayan  felt  the  reproach,  for  he  knew  that  it 
was  partly  his  fault,  since  had  he  followed  the  hint  dropped 
by  Topanashka,  and  his  own  first  impressions,  all  might  have 
taken  a  different  turn.  He  did  not  therefore  insist  any 
longer,  and  did  not  even  think  it  advisable  to  invoke  the 
will  of  Those  Above  in  aid  of  his  personal  desire.  His  si 
lence  determined  the  people  of  the  Rito,  for  they  took  it 
for  granted  that  the  higher  powers  approved  of  Hayoue's 
resolution  to  leave. 

It  may  seem  strange  that  the  Chayan  did  not  insist  upon 
consulting  the  Shiuana  first,  for  Hayoue  would  have  been 
compelled  to  abide  by  their  final  decision.  Here  the  ques 
tion  arises  how  far  the  Indian  shaman  is  sincere  in  his 
oracular  utterances,  —  how  much  of  his  decisions  is  hon- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  433 

est  error,  and  how  much  of  his  official  acts  may  be  decep 
tion  or  mere  jugglery. 

In  most  cases  of  importance  the  shaman  is  honest.  He 
really  believes  that  what  he  says  is  the  echo  from  a  higher 
world.  This  firm  belief  is  the  fruit  of  training;  and  the 
voices  he  hears,  the  sights  he  sees  when  alone  with  Those 
Above  are  the  products  of  honest  hallucination.  His  train 
ing  and  the  long  and  painful  discipline  he  undergoes  in  ris 
ing  from  degree  of  knowledge  to  degree  of  knowledge,  the 
constant  privations  and  bodily  and  mental  tortures,  prepare 
him  for  a  dreamy  state  in  which  he  becomes  thoroughly  con 
vinced  that  he  really  is  a  medium.  As  such  he  speaks  in 
council,  and  he  is  most  thoroughly  satisfied  that  what  he 
says  is  the  truth.  Of  course  there  are  among  them  some 
who  are  rogues,  who  profit  by  the  credulity  of  others,  and 
who  even  invent  tricks  in  order  to  fasten  their  authority 
upon  the  people  in  an  illegitimate  manner.  These  tricks 
themselves  are  not  performed  in  the  majority  of  cases  as 
conscious  sleight  of  hand.  They  may  have  been  such  at  their 
inception,  but  their  origin  has  been  forgotten  by  subsequent 
generations,  and  nothing  has  remained  but  the  bare  won 
derful,  inexplicable  fact  of  their  performance.  Thus  they 
have  become  in  course  of  time  hallowed ;  and  the  shaman 
who  causes  lightning  to  flash  through  a  dark  room,  or  corn 
to  grow  and  matuie  in  the  course  of  one  day,  honestly  be 
lieves  in  the  supernatural  origin  of  the  trick.  Such  men  are 
often  very  punctilious,  and  while  they  will  go  to  the  direst 
extremity  in  what  they  regard  as  their  duties  and  privileges, 
will  with  equal  scruple  avoid  going  a  single  step  beyond. 
Imbued  with  an  idea  that  they  are  the  mouth-pieces  01 
Those  Above,  they  listen  anxiously  to  everything  that  is 
striking  and  strange,  and  attribute  to  inspiration  forcible 
arguments  as  well  as  their  own  speeches  and  actions.  So 
it  was  with  the  Hishtanyi  Chayan.  The  refusal  of  Hayoue 

28 


434  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

to  accept  an  honourable  charge  struck  him  as  being  an  ex 
pression  of  the  will  of  the  Shiuana,  against  which  it  was  his 
duty  not  to  protest.  When  the  young  man  brought  forward 
such  strong  arguments  he  was  still  further  confirmed  in  his 
belief,  and  bowed  to  the  inevitable  in  respectful  silence. 

At  the  close  of  the  council  the  Koshare  retired  to  the 
estufa,  the  caciques  followed  their  example,  and  the  Cha- 
yan  came  next.  But  before  he  withdrew  into  privacy, 
the  great  medicine-man  had  a  long  talk  with  Hayoue, 
his  object  being  to  strengthen  the  tie  which  united  the 
young  man  with  the  people  of  the  Rito,  and  to  engage  him 
not  to  forsake  altogether  the  abode  of  the  spirits  of  his 
tribe.  Hayoue  made  no  definite  promise  beyond  what  he 
had  already  pledged  himself  to  at  the  general  meeting. 

Hayoue  and  Zashue  had  taken  leave  of  the  invisible 
ones  as  well  as  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Tyuonyi,  and 
ascended  to  the  brink  of  the  southern  mesa  above  the 
Rito.  Here  they  turned  around  to  look  back  upon  the 
home  to  which  neither  of  them  was  any  longer  strongly 
attached.  The  sun  was  setting,  and  they  wished  to  im 
prove  the  night,  for  fear  that  Navajos  might  still  be  prowl 
ing  about  on  the  mesas.  At  the  bottom  of  the  gorge 
there  was  little  life,  compared  with  the  bustle  that  pre 
vailed  in  former  days.  On  the  plateau  the  evening  breeze 
fanned  the  trees ;  in  the  east,  distant  lightning  played  about 
sombre  clouds. 

"  The  corn-plant  is  good,"  Zashue  remarked  to  his 
brother ;  "  the  Zaashtesh  will  not  starve  this  winter.  We 
i  lave  called  loudly  to  Those  Above." 

"  It  is  well,"  said  the  other  in  a  tone  of  authority,  which 
lince  Kis  achievements  he  was  wont  to  assume  toward  his 
tlder  brother;  "when  the  Koshare  perform  their  duty 
they  are  precious  to  the  people." 

"Without  the  Cuirana,"  the  elder  replied,  "the  sprout- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  435 

ing  corn  cannot  grow."  Zashue  had  conceived  a  very 
high  opinion  of  Hayoue,  and  his  weaker  mind  gladly 
leaned  upon  the  strong  will  of  the  youth.  Hayoue  started ; 
it  was  as  if  a  sudden  thought  struck  him.  "  Look,  see 
how  good  the  Shiuana  are  !  We  are  leaving  the  Tyuonyi ; 
and  behold,  if  we  find  our  people  there  can  be  no  lack 
of  food  wherever  we  dwell.  I  am  Cuirana,  you  are  Ko- 
share.  I  pray  and  fast  for  the  growing  corn,  you  do  the 
same  for  the  ripening  of  the  grain.  It  will  be  well." 

"If  Shyuote  is  alive  he  will  help  me."  Zashue  uttered 
these  words  timidly. 

"  Okoya  will  help  me ;  "  Hayoue  spoke  with  great 
assurance.  "  In  that  case  we  shall  be  four  already.  How 
often  have  I  told  you,  satyumishe,  that  Okoya  is  good. 
He  is  a  man;  I  saw  it  when  he  struck  Nacaytzusle,  the 
young  Moshome." 

The  elder  brother  said  nothing.  He  acknowledged  the  ~~ 
wrong  he  had  done  his  eldest  child.  In  case  Say  Koitza, 
in  case  Shyuote  were  still  alive,  it  would  be  owing  to  that 
elder  son  of  his.  And  his  wife,  Say  Koitza,  he  longed 
for  now  as  never  before.  For  her  sake  he  had  left  every 
thing,  —  his  home,  his  field.  Willingly  he  abandoned  his 
whole  past  in  order  to  find  her.  He  regretted  all  that 
he  had  done  in  that  past,  —  his  suspicions,  his  neglect,  his 
carelessness  to  her.  The  fearful  visitations  of  the  latter 
days  had  changed  him  completely. 

All  these  thoughts  he  gathered  in  one  exclamation,  — 

"  If  we  only  find  them  !  " 

"  Let  us  go  and  search,"  said  Hayoue,  turning  to  go. 
His  brother  followed  him  into  the  woods. 

Henceforth  we  shall  have  to  follow  the  two  adventurers, 
for  a  while  at  least.  Therefore  we  also  must  take  leave 
of  the  Rito  de  los  Frijoles.  Of  its  inhabitants  nothing 
striking  can  hereafter  be  told.  They  lived  and  died  in 


436  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

the  seclusion  of  their  valley  gorge,  and  neither  the  Tehuas 
nor  the  Navajos  molested  them  in  the  years  following. 
Tyope  continued  to  vegetate,  anxiously  taking  care  to 
give  no  occasion  for  recalling  his  former  conduct.  The 
Naua  soon  died.  The  subsequent  fate  of  the  tribe  is 
faintly  delineated  by  dim  historical  traditions,  stating  that 
they  gradually  emigrated  from  the  Rito  in  various  bands, 
which  little  by  little,  in  course  of  time,  built  the  villages 
inhabited  by  the  Queres  Indians  of  to-day.  Long  before 
the  advent  of  the  Spaniards,  in  the  sixteenth  century  of 
our  era,  the  Rito  was  deserted  and  forgotten.  The  big 
nouse,  the  houses  of  the  Eagles  and  of  the  Corn  clan, 
are  now  reduced  to  mere  heaps  of  rubbish,  overgrown 
by  cactus  and  bunches  of  low  grass.  Most  of  the  cave- 
dwellings  have  crumbled  also.  But  the  Rito  always  re 
mains  a  beautiful  spot,  lovely  in  its  solitude,  picturesque 
and  grand.  About  its  ruins  there  hovers  a  charm  which 
binds  man  to  the  place  where  untold  centuries  ago  man 
lived,  loved,  suffered,  and  died  as  present  generations  live, 
suffer,  and  die  in  the  course  of  human  history. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

SUNSHINE  and  showers  !  A  dingy  blue  sky  is  traversed  by 
white,  fleecy,  clouds,  long  mares'  tails,  on  whose  border 
giant  thunder-clouds  loom  up,  sometimes  drifting  majes 
tically  along  the  horizon,  or  crowding  upward  to  spread, 
dissolve,  and  disappear  in  the  zenith. 

It  is  the  rainy  season  in  New  Mexico,  with  its  sporadic 
showers,  its  peculiar  sunlight,  moments  of  scorching  heat, 
and  blasts  of  cool  winds,  with  thunder  overhead.  To 
the  right  and  left  rain  falls  in  streaks,  but  without  sultri 
ness,  and  with  no  danger  from  violent  wind-storms  or 
cyclones.  We  are  in  the  beginning  of  the  month  of 
September.  It  is  warm,  but  not  oppressive,  and  the  spot 
from  which  we  view  the  scenery  around  is  high,  open, 
and  commands  a  wide  extent  of  country. 

We  stand  on  a  barren  plateau.  Lava-blocks  are  scat 
tered  about  in  confusion,  while  tall  arborescent  cacti  rise 
between  them  like  skeletons,  and  bunches  of  grass  point 
upward  here  and  there.  North  of  us  the  mesa  expands 
in  monotonous  risings  and  swellings  to  the  foot  of  a  tall, 
exceedingly  graceful  cone,  whose  slopes  are  dotted  with 
bushes  of  cedar  and  juniper.  Beyond  it  are  dark  humps, 
denoting  by  their  shape  that  they  are  extinct  craters. 
In  the  distance,  west  of  that  beautiful  cone,  which  to-day 
is  called,  and  very  appropriately,  the  Tetilla,  the  sinuous 
profile  of  a  mountain-chain  just  peeps  over  the  bleak 
line  formed  by  the  mesa  and  its  various  corrugations. 
Nestling  within  its  bosom  rests  the  Rito  de  los  Frijoles. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

In  the  south,  dense  thunder- clouds  overhang  massive 
peaks.  Only  the  base  of  the  Sierra  de  Sandia,  of  the 
Old  Placeres,  and  the  numerous  ranges  beyond,  is  visible, 
for  a  heavy  shower  falls  in  that  direction.  In  the  east 
a  plain  sweeps  into  view,  dotted  by  black  specks  looming 
up  from  a  reddish  soil.  This  plain  rises  gently  to  the 
eastward,  and  abuts  against  a  tall  mountain-range  whose 
summits  also  are  shrouded  in  massive  clouds. 

We  stand  on  the  bleak  and  wide  mesa  that  interposes 
itself  between  the  town  of  Santa  F6  and  the  valley  of  the 
Rio  Grande.  Not  a  living  object,  with  the  exception  of 
wasps  and  beetles,  can  be  seen ;  everything  appears  dull 
and  dead.  The  thunder  roars  in  the  distance. 

And  yet  there  is  life  of  a  higher  order.  Two  ravens 
stalk  about  in  an  earnest,  dignified  manner.  The  birds 
look  exceedingly  and  comically  serious.  Their  plumage 
glistens  in  the  subdued  light  of  the  sun.  They  look  out 
for  themselves,  and  care  nothing  for  the  remainder  of 
creation.  So  deeply  are  they  imbued  with  a  sentiment 
of  their  own  exceptional  position  in  the  realm  of  nature, 
that  they  pay  no  attention  to  another  phase  of  life  that 
shows  itself  near  by,  though  not  conspicuously. 

Over  the  surface  of  the  mesa  are  seen  here  and  there 
almost  imperceptible  elevations  destitute  of  vegetation. 
In  these  slight  swellings,  apertures  are  visible.  Out  of 
the  latter  the  head  of  a  small  animal  occasionally  pro 
trudes,  disappears  again,  or  rises  displaying  a  pair  of 
shovel-like  front  teeth.  Then  a  worm-like  body  pushes 
up  from  below,  and  a  yellowish  figure,  half  squirrel,  half 
marmot,  stands  erect  on  the  hillock,  and  utters  a  sharp, 
squealing  bark.  This  barking  is  answered  from  a  neigh 
bouring  protuberance.  From  each  hillock  one  of  these 
little  animals  crawls  down ;  and  meeting  one  another  half 
way,  they  stand  up  facing  each  other,  scratch  and  bite 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  439 

for  a  moment,  then  separate  and  return  to  their  re- 
spective  cave-dwellings.  Other  similar  creatures  wriggle 
about  in  the  vicinity;  the  shrill  barking  sounds  far  and 
near.  A  colony  of  so-called  prairie  dogs  dwells  in  the 
neighbourhood. 

To  this  exhibition  of  animal  life  the  ravens  pay  no 
attention  whatever.  It  is  beneath  their  notice ;  their  aims 
are  of  a  higher  order  than  those  of  beings  who  live  upon 
roots  and  who  burrow  for  their  abode.  They  live  on 
prey  that  is  far  above  the  simple  products  of  animal 
industry.  Carrion  is  what  they  aspire  to.  Therefore  they 
aspire  with  a  lofty  mien,  prying  and  peering  in  every 
direction  for  something  fallen.  They  are  not  far  from 
the  eastern  brink  of  the  mesa,  where  the  volcanic  flow 
breaks  off  suddenly  in  short,  abrupt  palisades.  Who  knows 
what  their  keen  eyes  may  have  espied  along  that  brink? 

Another  actor  appears  upon  the  scene,  a  prairie  wolf, 
or  coyote ;  consequently  a  rival,  a  competitor  of  the 
ravens ;  for  he  is  in  the  same  business.  But  he  belongs 
to  a  higher  order;  for  while  the  ravens  are  scavengers, 
the  coyote  is  a  hunter  as  well.  He  would  even  prey 
upon  the  birds  themselves.  As  he  approaches,  with  tail 
drooping  and  ears  erect,  and  stops  to  sniff  ,the  air  and 
glance  about  slyly,  the  ravens  hop  off  sidewise  away  from 
the  dangerous  neighbour.  Still  they  are  loath  to  go,  for 
the  wolf  may  discover  something  the  leavings  of  which 
they  may  perhaps  enjoy.  But  the  coyote  lies  down, 
with  his  head  between  his  forepaws,  and  in  this  attitude 
pushes  his  body  forward,  almost  imperceptibly.  Such 
motions  are  very  suspicious;  the  scavengers  flap  their 
wings,  rise  into  the  air,  and  soar  away  to  some  more 
secure  spot. 

The  coyote,  however,  seems  in  no  wise  disappointed  at 
the  departure  of  the  ravens.  He  pays  no  attention  to 


440  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

their  flight,  but  moves  on  toward  the  lava-blocks  that 
indicate  the  rim  of  the  plateau.  There  he  has  noticed 
something;  an  object  that  lies  motionless  like  a  corpse. 
It  may  be  a  corpse,  and  therefore  something  to  prey 
upon.  Nearer  the  coyote  glides.  The  object  is  long 
or  elongated.  Its  colour  is  lighter  than  that  of  the  lava- 
blocks  surrounding  it,  but  its  farther  end  is  dark.  Now 
that  end  moves,  and  the  head  of  an  Indian,  a  village 
Indian  of  New  Mexico,  looms  up  above  the  boulders. 
The  coyote  has  seen  enough,  for  the  man  is  alive,  and 
not  carrion.  Away  the  beast  trots,  with  drooping  tail 
and  ears. 

The  Indian,  who  has  been  lying  there  with  his  face 
turned  to  the  east,  rises  to  his  knees  and  faces  about. 
His  features  are  those  of  a  man  on  the  threshold  of 
mature  age.  We  know  this  man !  We  have  seen  him 
before  !  And  yet  it  cannot  be,  for  how  thin,  how  wan, 
how  hollow  the  cheeks,  how  sunken  the  eyes  !  The  face, 
notwithstanding  the  red  paint,  appears  sallow.  Still  it 
is  an  old  acquaintance,  although  since  we  saw  him  last 
he  has  sadly  changed.  Now  he  turns  his  face  to  the 
south,  and  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  his  profile.  It  is  Zashue 
Tihua,  the  Indian  from  the  Rito  de  los  Frijoles,  husband 
of  Say  Koitza,  and  father  to  Okoya  and  Shyuote. 

What  is  he  doing  here?  It  is  now  more  than  three 
weeks  since  he  and  his  brother  Hayoue  took  leave  of  the 
Tyuonyi  in  order  to  search  for  their  lost  people.  They 
went  forth  into  that  limited,  yet  for  the  Indian  immensely 
vast,  world  to-day  called  central  New  Mexico.  In  a  month 
a  travelling  Indian  may  easily  be  hundreds  of  miles  away  if 
unimpeded  in  his  march.  But  we  find  him  here,  barely  a 
day's  journey  from  the  Rito.  A  strong  man  cannot  have 
spent  all  this  time  in  going  such  a  little  distance.  He  must 
have  wandered  far,  strayed  back  and  forth,  up  and  down. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  441 

perhaps  into  the  western  mountains,  where  the  Navajos 
lurk,  —  the  bad  men  who  frightened  his  wife  and  children 
away  from  their  homes,  or  who  perhaps  captured  or  killed 
them.  Or  he  may  have  gone  to  the  south,  where  the  black 
cloud  is  hanging,  and  where  it  thunders,  and  the  rain-streaks 
hang  like  long  black  veils  of  mourning.  He  has  perchance 
tramped  down  the  Rio  Grande  valley,  through  sand,  by 
groves  of  poplar-trees,  and  where  the  sand-storms  howl  and 
wail.  Now  he  comes  back,  unrequited  for  all  his  labour 
and  sufferings,  for  those  whom  he  sought  are  not  with 
him  ! 

His  gaze  was  not  directed  to  the  north  when  the  wolf 
espied  him,  but  to  the  east.  He  may  be  on  the  homeward 
stretch,  but  he  has  not  given  up  all  hope.  His  eyes  look 
for  those  whom  he  has  lost;  he  is  loath  to  give  up  the 
search,  loath  to  return  alone  to  the  home  which  the  enemy 
has  soiled  with  the  lifeblood  of  his  youngest  child.  He  is 
changed  in  appearance,  lean,  and  with  hollow  burning  eyes 
he  gazes  at  the  clouds  as  if  there  he  might  find  his  missing 
wife  and  children. 

As  he  kneels  and  gazes,  another  Indian  rises  from  amidst 
the  shaggy  blocks  of  lava  a  short  distance  off,  stands  up,  and 
then  sits  down  upon  a  rock.  He  turns  his  head  to  the 
east.  He  too  is  gaunt  and  thin,  his  features  are  pale,  and 
his  eyes  lie  deep  in  their  sockets.  On  his  back  hangs  a 
shield ;  but  it  is  soiled,  beaten,  and  perforated.  To  his  arm 
is  fastened  a  war-club,  and  the  quiver  on  his  back  is  half- 
filled  with  newly  made  arrows.  As  this  Indian  turns  his 
face  to  the  north  we  recognize  him  also.  It  is  Hayoue, 
Hayoue  as  emaciated  and  careworn  as  his  brother  Zashue. 
They  are  alone.  Neither  has  found  anything  yet. 

Zashue  rises  to  go  where  his  brother  is  sitting.  As  the 
latter  perceives  him  he  points  with  his  arm  to  the  east. 
There  at  the  farthest  end  of  the  plain,  at  the  font  of  th* 


442  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

high  cloud-veiled  mountains,  a  long  row  of  foot-hills  recedes 
in  an  angle.  To  this  angle  Hayoue  is  pointing.  An  un 
trained  eye  would  have  seen  nothing  but  cedar-clad  hills 
and  the  lower  end  of  slopes  dark  and  frowning,  above  which 
seething  clouds  occasionally  disclose  higher  folds  of  moun 
tains  whose  tops  are  shrouded  in  mist.  But  Zashue  has  no 
untrained  eye  ;  he  gazes  and  gazes ;  at  last  he  turns  around 
to  his  brother  with  an  approving  nod  and  says,  — 

"  Fire." 

"  Puyatye  Zaashtesh,"  Hayoue  replies ;  and  each  looks  at 
the  other  inquiringly. 

Where  we  might  have  seen  but  the  usual  dim  haze  veil' 
ing  distant  objects,  they  have  discovered  a  bluish  tint  cap> 
ping  the  hills  like  a  pale  streak.  It  denotes  the  presence 
of  smoke,  therefore  fire.  Not  a  burning  forest,  for  there  is 
no  high  timber  on  that  range  of  foot-hills,  but  smoke  arising 
from  a  place  where  people  are  dwelling.  The  roaming 
mountain  Indians,  the  Apaches  or  Navajos,  settle  nowhere 
permanently.  The  smoke  has  not  been  produced  by  their 
straggling  camp-fires  ;  it  indicates  the  location  of  a  perma 
nent  village.  Those  village  Indians  that  dwell  east  of  the 
Rio  Grande  are  Tanos,  and  the  Queres  call  them  Puyatye. 
There  must  be  a  Tano  village  in  that  corner  far  away  where 
the  bluish  film  hovers.  Hayoue  is  right,  a  Puyatye  Zaashtesh 
stands  where  to-day  lies  the  capital  of  New  Mexico,  —  the 
old  Spanish  settlement  of  Santa  Fe\ 

The  brothers  cast  their  eyes  to  the  ground ;  both  seem 
to  be  in  doubt,  Zashue  is  the  first  to  speak. 

"Do  you  suppose  that  our  people  might  be  at  that 
Zaashtesh?" 

Hayoue  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  It  may  be,  I  don't  know." 

"Will  it  be  safe  for  us  to  go  to  the  Puyatye  ?"  the  other 
inquired  doubtfully. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  443 

The  younger  sighs  and  answers,  — 

"  They  have  never  done  wrong  to  us." 

"  Still  they  speak  the  tongue  of  the  people  of  Karo." 

"  It  is  true,  but  they  live  nearer  to  us." 

"  But  they  are  Tehuas  too,  like  the  people  of  the  north, 
and  —  " 

Hayoue  interrupts  him,  saying,  — 

"  Our  folk  have  gone  to  them  as  often  as  they  wished 
buffalo- hides,  and  the  Puyatye  have  received  them  well,  giv 
ing  them  what  was  right.  Why  should  they  now  be  hard 
toward  us?" 

"  Still  if  the  Tehuas  have  gone  to  see  them,  saying,  '  The 
Queres  from  the  Tyuonyi  came  to  strike  us  like  Moshome 
over  night ;  look  and  see  that  they  do  not  hurt  you  also,' 
and  now  we  come  with  shield,  bow,  and  arrow,  what  can  the 
Puyatye  think  other  than  that  we  are  Moshome  Queres?" 

Hayoue  feels  the  weight  of  this  observation ;  he  casts  his 
eye  to  the  ground  and  remains  silent.  Zashue  continues,  — 

"  It  is  true  that  the  Moshome  Dinne  cannot  have  killed 
all  our  people.  This  we  found  out  on  the  Ratye,"  point 
ing  to  the  Sierra  de  San  Miguel ;  "  ere  I  killed  the  old  man 
to  take  ahtzeta  from  him,  he  lifted  all  of  his  ringers  four 
times  and  pointed  over  here.  Do  you  not  think,  satyu- 
mishe,  that  he  meant  to  tell  me  thereby  that  forty  of  our 
people  escaped  and  fled  to  Hanyi?" 

"  I  do ;  and  that  is  the  reason  why  I  believe  we  shall  find 
them  in  Hashyuko,"  —  the  eastern  corner,  the  Queres  name 
for  the  place  where  Santa  F^  stands,  —  replied  the  other,  very 
positively.  "  Behold,  satyumishe,  we  have  searched  every 
where  we  could,  have  followed  every  trail  we  could  follow. 
Nearly  all  the  tracks  were  those  of  our  people,  of  that  I  am 
sure,  and  how  far  have  we  not  gone  after  them  ?  Ten  days 
at  least  we  were  in  the  mountains  on  the  tracks  of  the 
Moshome  Dinne.  We  fought  them  and  took  ahtzeta.  At 


444  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

last  we  learned  that  many  of  our  women  and  children  had 
been  taken  by  those  shuatyam  and  that  we  never  any  more 
could  obtain  them,  also  that  Okoya  was  probably  not  still 
alive.  Then  we  went  south  and  saw  tracks,  —  small  tracks 
of  children,  larger  ones  of  women,  and  a  few  that  were  those 
of  men.  We  went  toward  Cuame  until  we  could  not  see 
the  tracks  because  it  had  rained,  and  the  rain  had  washed 
them  away.  To  go  farther  was  useless,  for  whither  should 
we  go?" 

"  There  are  other  Zaashtesh  farther  down  the  Rio  Grande, 
so  the  Naua  told  me,"  replied  Zashue  ;  "  but  these  dwell  far, 
far  away,"  —  he  waved  his  hand  to  the  south,  —  "where  it 
is  very  warm  and  where  there  are  a  great  many  Moshome." 

"  Those  are  too  far  off,"  Hayoue  said,  shaking  his  head ; 
"  our  people  did  not  go  so  far  without  resting.  We  must 
have  overtaken  them,  for  we  rested  not." 

The  elder  brother  nodded ;  he  was  fully  conscious  that 
they  had  never  rested  on  the  journey.  He  felt  it  now. 

"  Therefore,  brother,"  Hayoue  went  on,  "  I  believe  that 
those  whom  we  look  for  are  there,"  pointing  to  the  east. 
"  In  the  Sierra  del  Valle  are  only  those  whom  the  Moshome 
have  captured ;  the  others  must  have  turned  back  along  the 
river,  crossing  it  to  go  to  the  Puyatye ;  for  there  are  no 
Moshome  over  here,  and  if  the  Puyatye  speak  like  the  Te- 
huas,  their  hearts  are  different  and  more  like  ours.  I  think 
we  should  go  to  the  Zaashtesh  yonder,  at  the  foot  of  the  big 
kote  where  the  snow  is  hanging.  If  we  do  not  find  them 
there,  then  I  think  we  should  go  farther,  as  far  as  where  the 
buffaloes  are  feeding.  There  are  villages  there,  too,  I  have 
been  told,  and  there  our  people  will  be.  If  we  once  know 
which  of  them  are  alive  and  free,  we  shall  also  know  those 
who  are  among  the  Moshome,  and  can  see  what  to  do  for 
them." 

"  tt  strikes  me,"  Zashue  still  objected,  "  that  if  the  koitza 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  445 

and  the  little  ones  were  on  this  side  of  the  river  we  must 
have  seen  their  tracks." 

"  But  it  rains,  brother,"  Hayoue  replied,  looking  up  at 
the  sky.  "  The  Shiuana  send  us  rain  every  night  and  often 
during  the  day,  and  it  washes  away  the  footprints.  Besides, 
we  have  merely  followed  the  river  thus  far,  and  our  people 
may  have  turned  inland.  There  is  so  much  sand  on  the 
banks  that  the  rain  destroys  all  foot-marks." 

Zashue  looked  up  ;  a  thought  had  struck  him  like  a  flash. 

"  Have  you  seen  the  ravine  below  here  ?  "  He  pointed  to 
the  south.  "  How  would  it  do  for  us  to  look  there  ?  The 
ravine  comes  from  the  river." 

"You  are  right,"  Hayoue  assented,  rising  and  moving 
slowly  on.  The  strong  young  man  was  tired,  almost  ex 
hausted  from  endless  roaming,  searching,  spying,  and  from 
hunger  and  thirst  combined.  Zashue  took  a  more  south 
easterly  direction,  so  that  both  struck  the  brink  of  the  ravine 
at  some  distance  apart. 

From  the  brink  they  looked  down  into  a  deep  cleft,  at  the 
bottom  of  which  the  little  Rio  de  Santa  F£  winds  its  course 
toward  the  Rio  Grande.  This  cleft  is  the  gorge  which  to 
day  is  called  Canon  de  las  Bocas.  South  of  it  the  plateaus 
continue  with  barren  undulations  and  whitish  hills.  They 
rise  gradually  to  the  base  of  a  sombre  mountain  cluster,  the 
bulk  of  which  was  wrapped  in  clouds,  as  well  as  the  huge 
mass  of  the  Sandia  chain  to  its  right.  Still  farther  to  the 
right  the  Rio  Grande  valley  opened.  Sand-whirls  chased 
along  that  valley  to  meet  a  shower  which  was  sending  rain- 
streaks  into  it.  A  cloud  had  meanwhile  gathered  over  the 
heads  of  the  wanderers,  thunder  reverberated,  and  the  rain 
drops  began  to  fall.  The  men  paid  no  attention;  they 
gazed  down  at  the  little  torrent  beneath,  at  the  groups  of 
poplar-trees  on  its  banks,  and  at  the  scattered  patches  of 
open  ground  along  its  course.  Their  desire  was  to  descend 


446  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

into  the  gorge  to  search  for  traces  of  those  whom  they 
longed  for. 

The  descent  was  impracticable  from  where  they  had 
stopped.  A  rim  of  vertical  cliffs  of  lava  and  trap 
formed  the  upper  border  of  the  cleft.  Suddenly  Hay- 
oue  exclaimed, — 

"  Umo,  they  are  not  down  here,  or  we  should  see  them 
from  above.  Let  us  go  farther,  where  there  are  no  rocks, 
and  where  the  stream  enters  the  gorge.  If  our  people  have 
come  through  here  we  must  find  their  tracks  at  the  outlet." 

"  It  is  well,"  replied  Zashue. 

The  shower  drizzled  out ;  its  main  force  was  spent  on  the 
southern  plateaus,  and  cool  gusts  of  wind  blew  across  to 
the  north  side.  When  the  brothers  had  clambered  down 
the  rugged  slope  covered  with  scattered  lava-blocks  to  the 
sandy  nook  where  now  stands  the  hamlet  of  the  "  Cidne- 
quilla,"  clouds  had  again  lifted  over  Hashyuko,  and  on  the 
slope  of  the  high  Sierra  the  bluish  cloudlet  swam  clear  and 
distinct. 

Much  water  ran  in  the  bed  of  the  river  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Bocas,  and  there  was  no  hope  of  finding  any  tracks 
there. 

The  men  staggered  up  and  down,  and  at  last  Zashue  stood 
still,  bent  over,  and  appeared  to  examine  something.  Then 
he  called  aloud,  — 

"  Come  over  here  !  "  With  this  he  raised  something  from 
the  ground.  Hayoue  went  over  to  him,  and  both  looked  at 
the  object  carefully.  It  was  a  piece  of  cloth  made  of  cotton 
dyed  black,  of  the  size  of  a  hand,  torn  off  but  recently,  and 
soiled  by  mud  and  moisture.  Hayoue  nodded;  the  find 
pleased  him. 

"That  is  from  our  women,"  said  he. 

"The  women  frcm  the  Puyatye,"  Zashue  said  doubt 
ingly,  "wear  skirts  like  our  koitza." 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  447 

"  It  is  so,  but  the  women  from  Hashyuko  do  not  go  so 
far  from  their  homes  now.  Nothing  is  ripe,  —  neither  cactus, 
figs,  nor  yucca  fruit.  What  should  they  come  out  here  for? 
When  do  our  women  ever  go  so  far  from  the  Zaashtesh?  " 

"  Shotaye  used  to  go  farther,"  objected  the  elder. 

"Shotaye,"  Hayoue  muttered,  "Shotaye  was  —  you  know 
what  she  was  !  There  is  none  like  her  in  the  world.  What 
she  may  be  doing  in  case  she  is  alive,  nobody  can  tell." 

"  I  wish  I  knew  her  to  be  with  Say  Koitza  now,"  Zashue 
sighed. 

"  Shotaye  is  dead,"  his  brother  asserted.  "  But  I  believe 
that  this  rag  is  from  our  people,  and  you  were  right  in  com 
ing  hither.  Look  !  "  pointing  to  the  entrance  of  the  Bocas, 
"  they  came  through  there  and  from  the  west.  Even  if 
we  find  no  trace  of  them  I  still  believe  that  they  went  to 
Hashyuko  and  that  we  shall  find  them  there.  Let  us  go 
ere  it  is  too  late  !  " 

The  last  words  were  uttered  in  such  a  positive  tone  that 
Zashue  yielded,  and  followed  his  brother,  who  since  their 
discovery  again  moved  with  vigorous  strides.  Since  the 
last  evening  neither  of  them  had  eaten  anything,  and  their 
meal  then  had  been  scanty  enough.  The  discovery  had 
infused  new  strength  into  their  exhausted  bodies,  and  the 
brothers  walked  on,  side  by  side,  as  if  they  were  well  fed 
and  thoroughly  rested.  Zashue  still  remained  in  doubt ;  he 
would  rather  have  made  further  researches.  He  knew  from 
the  talk  of  old  men  that  the  Tanos  inhabited  villages  farther 
south,  and  it  was  possible  that  the  fugitives,  afraid  of  the 
dispositions  of  the  Puyatye  that  lived  closer  to  the  Tehuas, 
had  avoided  them  in  order  to  take  refuge  at  a  greater  dis 
tance  from  the  people  of  the  Puye.  But  above  all,  Zashue 
felt  strong  misgivings  in  regard  to  the  reception  which  he 
and  his  brother,  both  armed  as  they  were,  might  find  at 
Hashvuko. 


448  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

Under  different  circumstances  he  would  have  gone  to  the 
Tanos  without  any  fear,  and  would  have  entered  the  village 
as  a  guest.  Now,  since  the  Queres  of  the  Rito  and  the 
Tehuas  had.  come  to  blows,  it  was  possible  that  the  latter 
had  informed  their  relatives  in  the  southeast  of  what  occured, 
And  thus  made  them  suspicious  of  the  Queres.  He  and  his 
brother  carried  the  implements  of  war,  but  they  were  not 
in  war-paint.  That  looked  very  suspicious,  and  they  might 
be  taken  for  spies ;  and  as  soon  as  they  should  be  noticed 
some  of  the  Tanos  might  lie  in  wait  for  them  with  evil  in 
tentions.  If  on  the  other  hand  Hayoue  was  right,  then  all 
would  be  right.  But  he  could  not  agree  with  his  brother  on 
that  point.  A  certain  instinct  told  him  that  the  fugitives 
had  wandered  south  instead  of  east.  Nevertheless  he 
yielded  willingly  to  the  superior  energy  and  determination 
of  Hayoue.  Zashue  was  a  weak  man,  and  glad  to  lean  upon 
a  stronger  arm,  a  more  determined  will. 

Hayoue  on  his  part  was  fully  convinced  of  the  correct 
ness  of  his  views.  He  had  no  thought  of  danger.  He  re 
flected,  and  Zashue  had  overlooked  this  important  point, 
that,  in  case  the  Tehuas  notified  the  Tanos  of  recent  occur 
rences,  they  would  not  fail  to  boast  of  their  signal  triumph, 
and  to  represent  the  defeat  of  the  Queres  as  akin  to  com 
plete  destruction.  Therefore  in  what  light  could  he  and 
his  brother  appear  to  the  people  of  Hashyuko  than  as  fugi 
tives  from  a  tribe  well  nigh  exterminated  ?  Fugitives  of  that 
class  are  always,  even  by  savages,  received  and  treated  as 
guests.  Finally,  should  it  come  to  blows,  Hayoue  was 
ready  for  them  also,  to  give  as  well  as  take. 

The  distance  which  separated  the  two  men  from  their 
place  of  destination  was  about  twelve  English  miles.  The 
plain  between  the  upper,  or  eastern  mouth  of  the  Canon  of 
the  Bocas  and  the  foot  of  the  Santa  F£  mountain- range 
rises  gradually,  and  in  even  but  extensive  undulations.  It 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS  449 

is  closed  to  the  north  by  a  broad  sandy  ridge,  which  skirts 
the  northern  bank  of  the  little  Santa  Fe  stream.  That  ridge 
extends  from  the  east,  where  Santa  Fe  stands,  to  the  vol 
canic  mesa  through  which  the  cleft  of  the  Bocas  meanders 
in  the  west;  and  the  plain  lies  south  of  it,  dipping  in  that 
direction  as  well  as  to  the  west  also.  Several  ravines  with 
sloping  borders  run  through  it  from  east  to  west ;  the  near 
est  one  south  of  the  Santa  Fe  river  is  called  Arroyo  Hon 
do.  These  gorges  or  channels  are  dry  except  in  the  rainy 
season,  when  torrents  of  water  gush  down  them  for  a  few 
hours  after  some  exceedingly  violent  shower  in  the  moun 
tains.  The  vegetation  of  the  plain  consists  mainly  of 
bunch-grass,  juniper,  and  tall,  arborescent  cacti. 

Hayoue  took  the  direction  to  the  northeast,  keeping  be^ 
tween  the  Santa  Fe'  Creek  on  their  left  and  the  Arroyo 
Hondo  on  the  right.  As  often  happens  during  the  after 
noon,  the  sky  had  begun  to  clear;  and  as  evening  ap 
proached,  the  tall  Santa  Fe"  Sierra  shone  out  majestically, 
free  from  clouds,  the  top  of  "  Baldy  "  covered  with  snow. 
The  high  timber  on  the  lower  ridges  appeared  distinct, 
and  the  folds  of  the  mountain-sides  clothed  in  vivid  green 
alternated  with  black  yet  luminous  shadows.  A  cool  wind 
blew  from  the  south  in  gusts,  and  the  wanderers  hastened 
their  steps  lest  night  should  overtake  them  ere  they  could 
reach  the  village,  now  distinguishable  below  the  blue  cloud 
of  smoke  as  a  reddish  protuberance  on  a  bleak  hill. 

Zashue  stood  still,  and  beckoned  his  brother  to  do  the 
same  and  listen.  From  the  direction  they  were  going  came 
faint  cries ;  the  brothers  looked  at  each  other. 

"  There  are  Puyatye  over  there,"  said  Hayoue. 

"  Ko  !  "  assented  Zashue,  then  as  if  making  a  discovery 
he  added,  "  They  are  hunting  rabbits  and  hares." 

"  You  are  right,  surely  they  hunt  rabbits,"  said  Hayoue, 
his  eyes  brightening  at  the  suggestion. 

-9 


450  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  Zashue  asked. 

"We  will  go  to  them  at  once,"  said  the  other.  "That  is 
very  good,  very  good  for  us  indeed,  for  if  they  hunt  rabbits 
all  their  yaya  and  nashtio  will  be  there  too." 

One  of  the  broad  swellings  which  traverse  the  Santa  F6 
plain  lay  between  the  young  men  and  the  place  whence  the 
sounds  came  ;  it  concealed  the  hunters  from  their  gaze,  but 
the  manner  in  which  the  cries  seemed  to  shift  proved  that 
they  were  swiftly  moving  to  and  fro.  Zashue  felt  greatly 
relieved,  for  his  explanation  that  the  Tanos  might  be  on  a 
general  hunt  for  rabbits  was  probably  true,  and  it  was  a  very 
good  sign.  The  rabbit-hunt  is  usually  a  prelude  to  solemn 
dances,  therefore  it  was  not  likely  that  the  Tanos  suspected 
danger  or  had  any  knowledge  of  events  at  the  Puye. 

The  great  rabbit-hunt,  still  practised  by  all  the  Pueblos 
several  times  during  each  year,  is  a  communal  undertaking, 
a  religious  ceremony,  in  which  not  only  the  men  take  part, 
but  the  women  and  children  also.  The  object  is  to  ob 
tain  the  skins  which  the  chief  penitents  use  for  some  sacra 
mental  purpose.  It  is  also  a  feast  and  a  day  of  rejoicing 
and  merriment  for  the  whole  village.  The  hunt  is  under 
the  direction  of  the  principal  war  captain,  and  the  leading 
dignitaries  share  the  sport.  Long  prayers  around  a  fire 
which  is  started  outside  of  the  pueblo  opens  the  perform 
ance.  The  game  is  hunted  and  killed  with  clubs,  and  a 
lively  and  sometimes  amusing  rivalry  is  displayed  by  both 
sexes  in  securing  the  rabbits,  which  often  gives  rise  to  very 
ludicrous  scenes.  Sometimes  the  hunt  is  continued  for 
several  days  in  succession. 

When  the  brothers  reached  the  crest  of  the  undulation, 
they  witnessed  sights  that  to  a  stranger  would  have  been 
nearly  incomprehensible.  Men,  women,  and  children  were 
running  back  and  forth  in  every  direction,  no  longer  chas 
ing  game,  but  playing,  laughing,  romping,  with  loud  and 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  451 

boisterous  talk.  Small  groups  were  already  going  home 
loaded  with  game,  others  with  empty  hands,  to  the  great 
amusement  and  merciless  jeering  of  the  successful  hunters. 
Among  the  former  were  men  dressed  in  the  costume  of 
women,  while  with  the  lucky  ones  women  in  male  attire 
paraded  proudly.  It  was  an  animated  picture  spread  over 
a  wide  expanse,  but  it  was  moving  back  to  the  village  in 
the  east ;  and  when  the  Indians  from  the  Rito  stood  still  to 
observe,  there  remained  in  their  immediate  vicinity  only 
a  few  men  in  female  garb.  Beyond  them  stood  a  group  of 
five  or  six  persons,  laughing  and  jesting. 

Over  the  broad  plain  there  rested  a  mild,  subdued  glow 
of  pleasant  twilight ;  the  highest  summits  of  the  Sierra 
glistened  in  fiery  hues. 

Hayoue  stepped  up  boldly,  his  brother  keeping  alongside 
watchfully.  He  was  ready,  not  to  flee,  but  to  hide,  and  use 
the  bow  in  case  of  necessity.  They  were  noticed  by  those 
standing  nearest.  The  men  in  women's  garb  were  busy 
breaking  twigs  and  branches,  or  cutting  them  off  with  stone 
implements.  At  the  sight  of  strangers,  they  suspended 
work  and  stared.  Hayoue  laid  aside  his  bow  and  quiver, 
and  extended  his  right  hand,  calling  out, — 

"  Queres  Tyuonyi ! " 

No  answer  came.  Zashue  could  not  control  his  mirth  at 
the  sight  of  the  men  in  such  guise  ;  he  broke  out  in  a  ring 
ing  laugh,  pointed  at  them,  and  shouted,  "  Puyatye !  " 
then  to  himself  with  the  exclamation,  "  Koshare  !  " 

The  salutations  called  forth  no  reply.  The  Tanos  con-  / 
tinued  to  stare.  It  was  not  merely  astonishment  which 
caused  them  to  remain  motionless ;  there  was  quite  as  much 
embarrassment  on  their  part.  For  these  men  in  women's 
wraps  had  had  to  assume  the  costumes  as  a  punishment, 
because  they  had  allowed  women  to  outwit  or  out-hunt 
them  in  the  joint  pursuit  of  the  same  animal.  Whenever  a  ) 


452  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

man  and  a  woman,  during  one  of  these  ceremonial  hunts, 
chase  the  same  rabbit,  and  the  woman  succeeds  in  slaying  it, 
then  her  male  competitor  must  exchange  his  dress  for  that 
of  the  successful  woman,  who  in  turn  proudly,  amidst  ap 
plause  and  jeerings,  assumes  the  garb  of  the  male.  The 
man  thereafter  has  to  go  on  hunting  until  he  kills  a  rabbit 
himself,  and  can  by  offering  it  to  the  woman  reclaim  his 
clothing.  All  are  not  lucky  enough  to  succeed,  and  it  hap 
pens  sometimes  that  the  hunt  is  over  before  their  efforts 
are  successful.  Such  unfortunates  are  required  to  gathei 
a  load  of  firewood  as  big  as  they  can  carry,  and  bring  it  to 
,  the  house  of  the  woman  holding  their  clothes  in  pledge 
Thereupon  the  dresses  are  exchanged,  and  the  night  passes 
in  the  usual  childish  amusements  for  the  many,  in  religious 
rites  for  the  religious  functionaries. 

The  men  first  seen  by  the  brothers  betrayed  by  then 
dress  and  occupation  that  they  belonged  to  the  unlucky 
ones.  They  saw  at  a  glance  that  the  new-comers  were  vil 
lage  Indians  ;  they  also  recognized  from  their  behaviour  that 
they  came  with  friendly  intentions.  This  increased  their 
embarrassment,  for  they  knew,  or  at  least  supposed,  that  the 
strangers  would  see  at  once  the  cause  of  their  strange  ap 
pearance.  So  great  was  their  uneasiness,  that  one  of  them 
crouched  behind  a  bush  to  hide. 

Meanwhile  all  the  Tehuas,  who  had  been  standing  some 
distance  off,  came  running  up,  with  the  exception  of  one, 
who  was  seen  going  toward  the  pueblo  at  full  speed.  The 
others  held  their  wooden  clubs  ready,  in  case  of  trouble. 
Hayoue  advanced  toward  them  in  his  usual  unconcerned 
way,  and  saluted  them  with  — 

"  Guatzena,  Puyatye  !  " 

Zashue  had  remained  behind,  keeping  an  eye  on  the 
weapons  which  both  of  them  had  laid  on  the  ground. 

The  Tanos  whispered  and  whispered.     They  evidently 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS  453 

guessed  at  the  meaning  of  Hayoue's  words,  for  one  of 
them  stepped  up,  and  replied  with  the  usual  compliment 
in  Tehua, — 

"  Senggerehu." 

Each  grasped  the  other's  hand.  Hayoue  uttered  "  Que- 
res,"  and  pointing  to  the  west,  "  Tyuonyi." 

To  this  speech  the  other  replied  by  pointing  at  himself 
and  at  his  comrades  with  the  word  "  Tano ; "  then  at 
the  village,  which  was  still  dimly  visible  in  the  twilight, 
"  Oga  P'  Hoge."  l  Thereupon  he  made  the  gesture-sign 
for  sleep,  and  breathed  on  Hayoue's  hand.  The  latter 
responded  to  the  compliment  and  gave  Zashue  a  signal  to 
come  nearer.  When  Zashue  rejoined  the  group  they  all 
greeted  the  Queres  in  the  same  manner,  and  the  one  who 
was  still  holding  Hayoue's  hand  began  to  pull  him  along, 
urging  him  to  go  to  the  village  with  them.  The  adventur 
ers  from  the  Rito  felt  that  they  might  be  welcome.  Zashue 
even  made  an  eccentric,  clownish  jump,  exclaiming,  — 

"  Koshare  raua  !  Raua  Koshare  !  " 

Boisterous  laughter  broke  out.  One  of  the  Tanos  threw 
his  arm  around  Zashue 's  neck,  shouting  at  the  top  of  his 
voice,  — 

"  Hiuonde  tema  kosare  !  "  He  pressed  him  to  his  breast, 
whispering,  — 

"  Oga  P'  Hoge  Pare  !  " 

No  mistake  was  possible ;  the  Tano  was  a  brother,  a 
Koshare  like  Zashue,  and  delighted  to  meet  another  from 
the  far- distant  west.  More  and  more  lively  the  men  became 
on  both  sides ;  clumsy  attempts  at  explanation  were  made ; 

\j 

1  "Oga  P' Hoge  "is  the  name  given  to  Santa  Fe"  by  the  Tehuas 
of  Santa  Clara.  The  Tehuas  of  San  Juan  call  it  "  Cua  P'  Hoge,"  the 
place  or  village  of  the  shell  beads,  or  of  the  shells  ( Olivilla )  from 
which  they  make  the  beads  which  they  so  highly  prize.  In  the  six 
teenth  century  that  pueblo  was  already  deserted. 


454  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

words,  signs,  gestures  passed  between  them,  while  walking 
briskly  on ;  and  all  were  merry  and  in  good  spirits. 

It  was  night.  Behind  the  gigantic  wall  of  mountains  in 
the  east  a  whitish  glare  arose,  the  light  of  the  rising  moon. 
The  group  had  reached  the  banks  of  the  Rio  de  Santa  F£,  near 
where  now  stands  the  church  of  Nuestra  Senora  de  Guada- 
lupe.  Before  them  lay  a  dusky  wilderness,  abutting  against 
steep  hills.  On  the  highest  of  those,  which  overlooks  the 
present  town  in  the  north,  a  terraced  mound  could  be  dis 
tinguished,  and  from  its  sides  luminous  points  twinkled  in 
ruddy  light.  The  thumping  of  drums,  shrill  flutes,  and  an 
undefined  noise  rhythmic  in  its  character,  in  which  human 
voices  and  numerous  rattles  were  confusedly  mingled,  issued 
from  a  quarter  above  which  a  glow  arose  like  that  of  a  fire 
burning  within.  That  irregular  pile  was  the  pueblo  of  Oga 
P'  Hoge ;  it  stood  where  Fort  Marcy  was  subsequently 
erected  by  the  United  States  troops. 

The  moon  had  risen  and  rested  on  the  higher  crests  of 
the  mountains.  Its  light  penetrated  the  basin  in  which 
now  the  town  of  Santa  F6  extends,  on  both  banks  of  the 
little  stream  and  south  of  it.  When  to-day  the  moon  thus 
stands  over  the  heights,  and  looks  down  the  turrets  and 
cupolas  of  the  capitol,  hospitals  and  seminaries  glisten  in 
phosphorescent  light,  and  the  towers  of  the  cathedral  loom 
up  solemnly,  casting  on  the  ground  before  it  jet-black 
shadows.  Over  elegant  dwellings,  over  modest  flat  roofa 
of  adobe  houses,  over  military  buildings,  institutes  for  the 
education  of  those  of  all  races  and  creeds,  the  moonlight 
rest  peacefully.  Brilliant  music  sounds  in  the  plaza  from  the 
heights ;  in  the  northwest  a  spark  rushes  down  in  serpentine 
windings  nearer  and  nearer,  —  the  approaching  railway  train  ! 
From  the  south  a  shrill  whistle  is  heard,  —  another  iron 
horse  sweeping  up  with  people  and  news  from  the  outside 
world.  Shade-trees  rustle  in  the  evening  breeze,  and  their 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  455 

leaves  dance,  alternately  plunged  in  silvery  brightness  and 
transparent  night. 

To-day  the  heights  of  Fort  Marcy  are  deserted,  bleak  by 
daylight,  pale  and  yet  frowning  when  shines  the  moon. 
Since  the  seventeenth  century  life  has  sprung  up  at  its  base. 
At  the  time  when  Hayoue  and  Zashue  lived,  life  was  above, 
and  looked  down  upon  a  wilderness  beneath.  To-day  the 
hills  are  wild.  Formerly  juniper- bushes,  cedar,  and  cactus 
alone  peopled  the  banks  of  the  river,  growing  along  the 
rills  and  on  the  drift- heaps  formed  by  the  torrent. 

The  group  of  men,  with  Hayoue  and  Zashue  in  their 
midst,  halted  on  the  south  bank.  This  did  not  suit  Zashue ; 
it  struck  him  as  rather  unfriendly  or  at  least  as  suspicious. 
Their  companions  were  evidently  waiting  for  orders,  ere 
they  crossed  the  river. 

A  man  came  splashing  through  the  water  and  called  out 
something,  which  the  Queres  of  course  did  not  understand. 
At  once  all  conversation  ceased,  and  the  Tanos  became  si 
lent  and  grave.  The  new-comer  spoke  first ;  he  spoke  rap 
idly  and  in  a  low  voice,  then  grasped  Hayoue's  hand  to 
breathe  on  it,  and  held  it  fast.  Zashue's  hands  as  well  had 
been  seized  by  two  Tanos.  His  bow  and  quiver  had  been 
removed  from  him  under  some  friendly  pretext.  They  were 
disarmed.  Then  all  moved  on,  forded  the  stream,  and  took 
a  trail  that  led  directly  to  the  foot  of  the  hill  where  stood 
the  pueblo.  All  sounds  of  merriment  above  were  hushed, 
nothing  moved  but  the  men  and  the  night  wind  rustling 
through  the  shrubbery.  At  the  foot  of  the  high  hill  other 
Indians  came  up ;  these  were  armed,  and  they  followed  the 
group. 

All  this  looked  ominous.  They  were  no  longer  treated 
as  guests ;  they  were  prisoners  !  Zashue  was  not  so  much 
surprised  as  Hayoue,  for  he  had  always  mistrusted.  Hayoue 
inwardly  raved.  He  reproached  himself  for  not  having  lis- 


456  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.. 

tened  to  his  brother's  warnings,  for  having  allowed  his  rash- 
ness,  his  conceit,  his  over-confidence,  to  prevail  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  fall  into  a  trap  which  he  felt  sure  the  Tanos 
had  artfully  laid  and  cunningly  sprung  upon  them.  Still  al! 
his  indignation  and  rage  were  of  no  avail.  Even  if  he  were 
able  to  free  himself  from  the  grasp  of  his  guards,  and  to  es 
cape  the  arrow-shots  that  would  be  aimed  at  the  fugitive,  he 
saw  no  chance  for  him  in  the  relentless  chase  that  would 
follow.  All  advantages  would  be  on  the  side  of  the  Tanos, 
who  knew  the  country,  whereas  he  was  a  total  stranger. 
Nothing  was  left  him  but  to  resign  himself  to  his  fate  and 
to  await  the  course  of  events.  It  was  hard  for  the  proud, 
self-glorious  young  warrior ;  it  was  not  only  hard  but  if  he 
took  into  consideration  his  overbearing  manner  toward 
Zashue,  a  punishment  justly  merited.  Hayoue  hung  his 
head,  crestfallen  and  in  bitter  wrath. 

At  last  some  one  came  down  the  steep  hill,  muttered  a 
few  words,  and  the  ascent  began.  Nobody  turned  back  to 
glance  at  the  moonlit  expanse  that  was  unfolding  itself  more 
and  more  beneath.  A  dismal  yelping  sounded  from  below, 
the  voice  of  a  coyote  from  the  banks  of  the  stream.  The 
wolf  had  followed  the  returning  hunters.  He  licked  the 
blood  trickling  from  the  dead  game  and  called  his  com 
rades.  Other  voices  answered  in  the  neighbourhood ;  from 
various  parts  of  the  basin  the  barking  died  away  in  a  mourn 
ful,  dismal  wail  mingled  with  shrieks,  sobs,  and  fiendish 
laughter.  It  rose  from  the  depths,  filling  the  air,  re-echoing" 
from  the  hills,  and  changing  its  modulations,  a  horrible 
chorus  of  moans  and  groans  alternating  with  exclamations 
of  hellish  triumph.  A  shiver  passed  through  both  the  pris 
oners  ;  their  entrance  into  Oga  P'  Hoge  took  place  with 
dismal  prognostications. 

The  pueblo  was  built  in  the  shape  of  a  rectangle.  The 
north  and  east  sides  of  it  formed  a  continuous  structure ; 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  457 

narrow  alleys  separated  them  from  the  south  and  the  west 
sides,  and  between  the  two  there  was  also  an  alley  of  en 
trance  and  exit.  Through  the  latter  therefore,  on  the 
southwest  corner,  the  Tanos  entered  an  open  space  like  a 
large  court-yard,  surrounded  by  the  terraced  buildings  com 
posing  the  village. 

At  the  approach  of  the  group,  human  forms  had  appeared 
on  the  flat  roofs  and  peered  down  upon  the  prisoners  with 
curious  eyes.  As  soon  as  the  captives  entered  the  square, 
the  number  of  spectators  increased ;  they  came  out  from 
the  interior,  from  lower  stories,  down  from  the  upper  tier, 
men,  women,  and  children.  They  descended  into  the  square, 
and  the  whole  population  of  the  village,  about  four  hun 
dred  souls,  gathered  around  the  strangers  and  their  guard. 
All  the  able-bodied  men  were  not  among  them.  A  dozen 
videttes  were  distributed  on  the  flat  roofs,  and  nearly  fifty 
warriors,  hastily  armed  and  equipped,  had  scattered  at  some 
distance  from  the  buildings  along  the  hills  throughout  the 
basin,  to  intercept  a  possible  flight,  as  well  as  to  guard  ap 
proaches  in  case  the  two  prisoners  should  be  merely  advance 
scouts  of  a  larger  body  of  enemies.  Of  all  this  Hayoue  and 
Zashue  knew  nothing,  of  course ;  but  they  noticed  that  the 
throng  about  them  was  not  friendly,  that  an  ominous  silence 
prevailed.  Hardly  a  whisper  was  heard ;  a  few  women  only 
gesticulated  wildly. 

The  Tanos  dropped  the  hands  of  their  captives,  but  they 
remained  around  them  still.  For  a  long  while  they  were 
left  to  stand ;  nobody  brought  them  food,  nobody  offered 
them  water  to  allay  their  thirst.  The  whispering  grew 
louder ;  it  sounded  like  murmured  threats. 

At  last  the  hands  of  the  strangers  were  again  seized  and 
they  were  led  across  the  square  to  the  northeastern  corner. 
The  throng  opened  in  front  of  them  as  they  advanced,  clos 
ing  in  behind,  and  all  following  like  children  after  a  proces« 


t$8  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

sion.  Some  ran  along  the  walls,  eager  to  be  near  and  on 
hand  when  the  strangers  came  up.  Their  curiosity  was  soon 
gratified,  for  the  square  was  small.  At  the  foot  of  one  of 
the  notched  beams  another  halt  was  made.  Two  of  the 
guards  climbed  up  and  exchanged  a  few  words  with  an  In 
dian  sitting  on  the  roof.  Then  Hayoue  was  signalled  to  fol 
low.  A  Tano  came  behind  him ;  after  him  Zashue,  and 
then  two  armed  men.  The  crowd  had  meanwhile  closed  up 
against  the  wall,  pressing  eye  and  ear  against  the  air-holes, 
out  of  which  the  firelight  shone.  Nobody  attempted  to 
climb  the  roof,  but  all  remained  below,  a  moving,  wrangling 
crowd  of  people  illuminated  by  the  placid  light  of  the 
moon. 

Another  delay  occurred  on  the  roof.  The  wanderers 
heard  loud  talking  beneath  their  feet,  and  concluded  that 
the  council  sat  in  a  room  below,  and  that  they  would  be 
led  before  that  august  body.  There  was  some  consolation 
in  this  fact,  for  it  showed  at  least  that  they  would  not  be 
slaughtered  at  once.  But  how  should  they  defend  them 
selves?  Nobody  understood  their  language,  any  more  thap 
they  understood  that  of  the  Tanos  !  The  situation  seemed 
desperate.  Hayoue,  as  well  as  Zashue,  felt  helpless;  but 
they  had  to  submit  to  the  inevitable.  After  all,  death  would 
put  an  end  to  everything;  it  is  beautiful  at  Shipapu, — 
there  is  constant  dancing  and  singing ;  the  girls  are  always 
young  and  the  women  never  too  old. 

Hayoue's  hand  was  again  grasped  by  one  of  the  guards, 
and  he  was  motioned  to  descend  into  the  apartment  below. 
Zashue  had  to  follow.  They  found  themselves  in  a  long 
room,  whose  whitewashed  walls  'reflected  the  light  of  a 
small  fire  burning  on  a  rude  hearth.  Close  to  the  hearth 
sat  a  man  whom  the  prisoners  at  once  supposed  to  be  the 
puyo,  or  governor.  By  his  side  sat  another,  a  small  figure, 
somewhat  wrinkled.  He  wore  nothing  but  a  breech-clout 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  459 

of  buckskin,  for  it  was  summer.  Several  aged  men  were 
gathered  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  fire.  Although  none 
of  them  wore  either  ornaments  or  badges,  it  was  easy  to 
surmise  that  they  were  the  principal  shamans.  Along  the 
wall  sat,  lounged,  or  squatted  the  clan  delegates,  so  that  all 
in  all  there  were  present  about  eighteen  persons,  including 
the  prisoners.  Outside,  the  faces  and  eyes  of  listeners 
appeared  from  time  to  time  through  the  air-holes. 

The  man  whom  the  two  Queres  rightly  took  to  be  the 
civil  chief,  motioned  them,  adding,  "Sit  down." 

They  obeyed,  and  remained  sitting  with  downcast  looks. 
The  councilmen  glanced  at  them  furtively  from  time  to 
time.  None  of  them  spoke.  At  last  a  whisper  was 
heard,  and  now  a  voic^  said  in  the  Queres  dialect, — 

"Whither  are  you  going?" 

Hayoue  started,  and  stared  about  in  the  room,  looking 
for  the  man  who  in  this  foreign  country  spoke  his  own 
language.  When  he  finally  discovered  that  it  was  the 
small  old  man  sitting  by  the  side  of  the  governor,  he 
gaped  at  him  with  lips  parted,  and  an  expression  akin 
to  fright.  He  had  acquired  a  dim  knowledge  of  the 
fact  that  it  might  be  possible  for  one  man  to  know  more 
than  one  language,  but  he  had  never  met  such  a  prodigy 
as  yet.  After  the  first  surprise  was  over,  he  still  stared  at 
the  speaker  with  inquisitive  glances,  eager  to  see  whether 
it  was  possible  to  speak  two  dialects  with  one  and  the 
same  tongue.  Zashue  was  less  startled.  He  knew  that 
there  were  people  who  had  learned  a  speech  different 
from  the  one  to  which  they  were  born.  Therefore  he 
replied  to  the  query, — 

"  We  are  searching  for  our  women,  our  daughters,  and 
our  children." 

"Why  do  you  look  for  them  here?  We  have  them 
not,"  said  the  old  man. 


460  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Because  we  have  hunted  for  them  everywhere  else 
and  have  not  found  them." 

"Are  you  alone?"  continued  his  interlocutor. 

"  I  and  my  brother  are  alone,"  Zashue  asserted. 

"  Why  did  your  koitza  and  makatza  leave  you?  " 

"  The  Moshome  drove  them  off." 
,    "  The  Moshome  ?"     The  inquisitor  criticised  his  words. 

Hayoue  had  recovered  from  his  surprise.  He  inter 
jected  in  a  loud,  blunt  voice, — 

"  While  the  men  went  out  to  strike  the  Tehuas,  the 
Moshome  Dinne  came  upon  us.  We  were  only  a  few, 
and  the  shuatyam  laid  waste  our  corn,  and  killed  many 
women.  Many  more,  however,  fled ;  we  do  not  know 
whither.  These  we  have  gone  out  to  find;  we  are  look 
ing  for  them  this  day  here  among  you,  but  you  have 
taken  us  captives.  You  have  treated  us,  not  as  it  is 
customary  between  the  Zaashtesh,  but  as  the  Moshome 
are  wont  to  do  when  strangers  come  to  their  hogans." 
He  looked  down  again,  angry.  Zashue  endeavoured  to 
give  him  a  warning  sign,  but  Hayoue  saw  it  not. 

The  old  man  smiled.  Afterward  he  translated  to  the 
Tanos  what  had  been  said.  His  communication  excited 
considerable  attention.  At  the  close  of  his  speech,  one  of 
the  medicine-men  replied  in  a  few  words.  The  interpreter 
turned  again  to  the  Queres,  asking,  — 

"Why  did  the  people  of  the  Tyuonyi  come  upon  our 
brethren  in  the  north  by  night,  like  shutzuna?  The 
men  from  the  Puye  had  done  them  no  harm." 

"No  harm?"  Hayoue  broke  out.  "Did  they  not 
murder  the  best,  the  bravest,  the  wisest  man,  our  father 
the  maseua?  Was  it  not  enough?  If  you  do  not  call 
that  a  bad,  a  base  deed,  then  you  and  all  of  you  are  as 
bad  and  as  base  as  the  Tehuas." 

The  old  man's  features  remained  placid.  He  replied  in 
a  quiet  tone,  but  his  manner  was  cool  and  measured.  — 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  461 

"  I  know  that  you  believe  that  the  Tehuas  killed  your 
maseua.  I  know  it  well ;  for  Shotaye,  who  now  is  called 
Aua  P'ho  Quio,  and  who  lives  with  Cayamo  in  the  homes 
at  the  Puye,  came  to  warn  the  Tehuas  that  the  Queres 
were  coming  over  against  them.  But  it  is  not  true.  It 
was  not  our  brethren  from  the  north,  it  was  the  Moshome 
Dinne."  He  uttered  the  name  with  marked  emphasis. 
"They  killed  the  maseua  of  your  tribe." 

We  recognize  in  the  interpreter  the  same  old  man  wha 
served  the  Tehuas  in  their  first  interviews  with  Shotaye. 
The  Tehuas  had  despatched  him  to  the  Tanos,  in  order 
to  inform  the  latter  of  their  signal  triumph,  and  to  put 
them  on  their  guard  against  the  Queres.  It  was  a  lucky 
hour  for  Hayoue  and  Zashue,  especially  for  the  former, 
when  the  old  man  reached  the  Tanos. 

The  two  adventurers  were  thunderstruck.  Speechless, 
with  heads  bowed,  they  sat  in  utter  amazement  at  what 
they  were  being  told.  Everything  was  so  completely  new 
to  them,  and  yet  it  explained  so  much,  that  they  were 
unable  to  collect  their  minds  at  once.  The  Tanos  saw 
their  confusion.  What  the  interpreter  told  them  of  the 
replies  of  the  prisoners  had  already  created  much  interest, 
and  now  their  embarrassed  state  attracted  still  greater 
attention.  The  interpreter,  therefore,  was  prompted  to 
further  question  them. 

"When  the  Queres  moved  against  the  Tehuas,  were 
you  along?" 

"  No,"  Zashue  replied  sullenly. 

"  Have  many  of  your  people  returned  from  the  north?  " 

"  Enough  to  hold  their  own  against  all  who  speak  your 
language,"  Hayoue  retorted. 

The  old  man  blinked ;  he  had  put  an  imprudent  ques 
tion.  After  a  short  pause,  he  asked  again, — 

"  Why  did  you  alone  ,go  out  to  seek  for  your  people  ?  " 


462  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Because,"  Hayoue  indignantly  retorted,  "  the  others 
had  to  remain  at  home  to  protect  the  weak  ones,  in  case 
the  Moshome  Tehua  came  for  the  leavings  of  the  Moshome 
Dinne."  He  accompanied  these  already  insulting  words 
with  looks  of  defiance,  glancing  around  with  eyes  flashing, 
and  lips  scornfully  curled.  His  wrath  was  raised  to  the 
highest  pitch;  he  could  not  control  himself. 

Fortunately  for  him  the  Tanos  did  not  understand  his 
words,  and  the  interpreter  was  shrewd  enough  to  see  that 
the  young  man  thought  himself  justly  angry,  and  withheld 
his  insulting  speech  irom  his  listeners.  He  comprehended 
the  position  of  the  strangers,  and  understood  what  their 
feelings  must  be.  He  had  no  doubt  in  regard  to  their 
sincerity  and  truthfulness.  An  important  point  which  he 
realized  was  the  present  weakened  condition  of  the  Queres 
tribe.  He  turned  to  the  meeting  and  spoke  long  and 
earnestly.  His  speech  was  followed  with  the  closest  atten 
tion,  and  Zashue,  who  felt  more  composed  than  his  younger 
brother,  noticed  that  the  words  fell  on  ready  ears.  A  short 
discussion  followed,  in  which  every  one  participated  in  turn ; 
at  last  all  seemed  unanimous,  and  the  interpreter,  avoiding 
Hayoue,  who  sat  with  eyes  gleaming  like  a  loaded  electric 
battery  ready  to  send  off  flying  and  burning  sparks,  turned 
to  Zashue  with  the  query,  — 

"  Have  you  any  trace  of  your  people  ?  " 

Zashue  related  everything  in  a  simple  and  truthful  man 
ner,  —  how  they  came  to  the  determination  to  visit  the  vil 
lage,  with  the  intention  in  case  there  should  be  none  of  the 
fugitives  here  to  turn  southward  and  continue  their  search 
among  the  southern  pueblos.  Every  word  he  said  was  after 
ward  translated  to  the  council ;  the  tuyo  delivered  a  short 
address ;  and  the  interpreter  spoke  to  the  two  young  men 
in  a  solemn,  dignified  manner,  as  follows  :  — 

"  It  is  well !     My  brethren  say  that  you  are  welcome 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  463 

They  also  say  that  you  should  forgive  them  for  having  sus 
pected  you.  The  people  on  the  Tyuonyi  wronged  those 
at  the  Puye,  and  that  was  not  good  !  But  now,  since  the 
hand  of  Those  Above  has  stricken  the  Queres,  we  will  no 
longer  be  Moshome,  but  brethren,  and  will  forget  what 
has  come  between  us.  Are  we  not  all  one,  we  who  wear 
the  hair  in  sidelocks,  —  one  from  the  beginning ;  and 
have  we  not  all  come  forth  at  the  same  place?  You  are 
welcome  ! " 

The  speaker  paused,  glancing  at  the  governor.  The  latter 
rose,  went  over  to  Zashue,  took  his  hand,  breathed  on  it, 
and  lifted  it  upward.  He  did  the  same  to  Hayoue ;  then 
he  returned  to  his  seat  and  gave  a  sign  to  the  interpreter, 
who  went  on,  — 

"  Those  whom  you  long  for  are  not  here.  But  it  may  be 
that  as  you  say,  brother,"  —  he  directed  these  words  to 
Zashue  —  "  they  went  to  our  people  farther  south.  In  a 
few  days  I  will  have  to  go  thither,  and  will  be  your  guide. 
Meanwhile  eat  the  food  and  drink  the  water  offered  you 
by  those  who  speak  a  tongue  different  from  yours,  but 
whose  hearts  are  like  your  heart,  and  who  like  you  pray 
to  Those  Above.  He  who  dwells  up  there  is  our  father 
and  your  father;  she  who  has  her  home  on  high  is  our 
mother  and  your  mother.  Therefore  the  mothers  and 
fathers  of  the  Tanos  say  to  you  through  me  that  it  is  well 
that  you  should  stay  here.  Be  welcome  !  " 

Involuntarily  Zashue  uttered  a  deeply  felt  "  Hoa  "  of  re 
lief.  Hayoue  nodded,  and  sighed  as  if  breathing  freer  again. 
The  great  medicine-man  arose,  scattered  sacred  meal,  and 
uttered  a  prayer  to  which  all  the  others  listened  in  deep 
silence.  Then  he  went  to  greet  the  strangers  in  the  cus 
tomary  manner.  One  by  one  the  others  followed,  —  the 
second  medicine-man,  the  other  chief  officials,  finally  the 
delegates  of  the  clans.  Every  one  grasped  their  hands  and 


464  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

went  through  the  same  ceremonies.  The  council  was 
ended,  and  to  every  one's  satisfaction. 

Last  came  the  old  interpreter,  and  greeted  them,  say 
ing,— 

"I  am  Chang  Doa,  what  you  call  Mokatsh  hanutsh, 
'panther  clan.'  Where  do  you  belong?  " 

"  Tzitz  hanutsh,"  Zashue  quickly  responded. 

The  old  man  turned  to  one  of  the  delegates. 

"  Father,"  he  called  to  him  in  his  language,  "  our  sons 
belong  to  your  people.  Will  you  take  them  with  you,  or 
shall  they  go  to  the  summer  cacique?  " 

The  other  reflected  a  short  while,  then  he  replied,  — 

"  The  summer  cacique  is  busy ;  let  the  brethren  come  with 
me.  I  will  lead  them  to  the  homes  of  P'ho  Doa." 

News  of  the  happy  result  of  the  council  had  already 
spread  outside.  When  the  prisoners  of  a  few  hours  ago, 
now  transformed  into  honoured  guests,  stepped  down  into 
the  square,  every  one  looked  at  them  pleasantly.  The 
throng  dispersed,  but  many  followed  them  into  the  houses 
of  the  Water  clan,  where  they  were  treated  to  the  primitive 
food  of  those  times.  Soon  they  retired  to  rest  on  simple 
couches,  there  to  forget  the  hardships  and  dangers  they  had 
suffered  during  the  day. 

Outside,  the  deepest  silence  reigned.  The  pueblo  on  the 
steep  hill  and  the  desert  plain  below  shone  in  the  rays  of 
the  moon,  peacefully,  as  though  they  too  would  slumber. 
From  the  thickets  along  the  little  stream  arose  a  faint  twit 
ter  ;  louder  and  louder  it  sounded,  and  rose  heavenward  in 
full,  melodious  strains,  soaring  on  high  through  the  stillness 
of  the  night;  it  was  the  mocking-birds'  greeting  to  the 
hour  of  rest. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

AUTUMN  in  New  Mexico,  as  well  as  in  many  other  parts  of 
the  world,  is  the  most  beautiful  time  of  the  year.  The  rains 
are  over,  and  vegetation  is  refreshed  and  has  developed. 
Yellow  flowers  cover  the  slopes  of  the  higher  ranges ;  the 
summits  are  crowned  with  glistening  snow  again ;  the  days 
are  pleasant  and  the  nights  calm,  clear,  and  wonderfully 
cool.  Nature  in  autumn  seems  to  display  its  greatest 
charms  to  allure  mankind  into  placid  submission  to  the 
approach  of  rigid  winter. 

Autumn  has  come,  and  the  two  adventurers  of  whose 
reception  we  have  spoken  in  the  last  chapter  are  still  guests, 
kindly  treated  and  waiting  for  the  guide  to  give  the  signal 
of  departure  for  the  south.  A  few  days  the  old  man  had 
said,  —  in  a  few  days  he  would  himself  go  to  the  southern 
pueblos  of  his  tribe.  But  upon  the  rabbit-hunts  there  fol 
lowed  ceremonial  dances  which  lasted  for  days,  and  Hayoue 
and  Zashue  could  not  leave  until  they  were  over.  Then  it 
required  several  days  to  rest  and  to  perform  certain  rites, 
and  Zashue  and  Hayoue  could  not  leave  on  that  account. 
Furthermore,  Zashue  being  Koshare,  the  Kosare  of  the 
Tanos  held  him  back  for  certain  performances  of  their  own, 
and  Hayoue  could  not  or  would  not  start  alone.  Afterward, 
Hayoue  being  Cuirana,  the  Cuirana  held  something  in  store 
for  him,  and  Zashue  did  not  care  to  start  without  his 
brother.  And  when  all  that  was  finished  the  old  man  was 
not  ready ;  and  so  they  are  Citing  and  waiting,  and  autumn 


466  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

is  here  in  all  its  beauty,  and  Hayoue  and  Zashue,  Zashue  ai, 
well  as  Hayoue,  begin  to  chafe ;  but  it  is  of  no  avail ;  they 
must  wait. 

While  they  are  thus  waiting  until  it  pleases  their  friend  to 
start,  we  shall  precede  them  to  that  south  which  is  their 
objective  point,  in  order  to  anticipate  if  possible  the  crav 
ings  of  the  two  adventurous  young  men.  They  may  over 
take  us  there,  perhaps  when  we  least  expect  it. 

About  thirty  miles  south  of  Santa  Fd,  the  southern  rim  of 
the  so-called  Basin  of  Galisteo  is  bounded  by  a  low  and 
shaggy  ridge  running  from  east  to  west,  whose  crest  is 
formed  of  trap-dyke  sharply  though  irregularly  dentated. 
In  Spanish  this  ridge  and  another  similar  one  which  trav 
erses  the  plain  several  miles  north  of  it,  running  parallel  to 
the  former,  is  called  very  appropriately  El  Creston,  for  if 
seen  from  a  distance  and  edgewise  it  strikingly  resembles 
the  crest  of  an  antique  helmet.  The  plain  of  Galisteo  ex 
pands  between  crestones,  and  on  the  edges  of  it  stand  sev 
eral  villages  of  the  Tanos.  Of  the  Galisteo  Basin  a  Spanish 
report  from  the  sixteenth  century  says :  "  There  they  have 
no  stream ;  neither  are  there  any  running  brooks  nor  any 
springs  which  the  people  could  use." 

The  mountain  clusters  of  the  Real  de  Dolores  and  Sierra 
de  San  Francisco,  and  beyond  these  the  high  Sandia  chain, 
divide  the  Galisteo  country  from  the  valley  of  the  Rio 
Grande  in  the  west.  To  the  south  there  extends  a  dreary 
plain  as  far  as  the  salt  marshes  of  the  Manzano ;  eastward 
spread  the  wooded  slopes  of  the  plateau ;  above  the  Pecos 
border  upon  the  basin.  To  the  north  the  plain  rises  grad 
ually,  traversed  only  by  the  northern  creston,  until  it  merges 
into  the  plain  of  Santa  F6. 

On  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  Galisteo  Basin  a  broad 
channel  discharges  its  waters  into  it,  passing  between  the 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

San  Francisco  range  and  the  mountains  of  Dolores.  The 
channel  is  arid.  Mountain  torrents  rush  through  it  only  in 
the  season  of  thunder-storms,  and  they  have  burrowed  and 
ploughed  through  its  surface,  scarring  it  with  deep  furrows 
and  shifting  waterfalls.  Near  the  mouth  of  the  pass  and 
at  no  great  distance  from  the  plain,  one  of  these  arroyos 
has  cut  through  an  ancient  village,  exposing  on  both  banks 
the  lower  walls  and  rooms  of  its  buildings,  visible  on  the 
surface  only  as  irregular  lines  and  quadrangles  of  rubbish. 
The  village  must  have  been  quite  large  for  an  Indian  set 
tlement,  since  seven  rectangles  with  wing-like  additions  can 
still  be  traced.  This  village  in  ruins  is  called  to-day  the 
Pueblo  Largo,  and  the  name  is  not  inappropriate. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  speak,  the  Pueblo  Largo  was 
inhabited,  and  in  as  high  a  state  of  prosperity  as  Indian 
pueblos  ever  attain  unto.  It  contained,  as  the  ruins  attest, 
nearly  fifteen  hundred  people  of  the  Tanos  tribe.  Its  name 
was  Hishi.  The  name  is  well  known  to-day  to  the  remnants 
of  the  Tanos,  for  they  have  piously  preserved  the  recollec 
tions  of  their  former  abodes. 

Hishi  is  not  on  a  beautiful  site.  It  lies  in  a  wide  ditch 
rather  than  in  a  valley.  No  view  opens  from  it,  and  sombre 
mountains  loom  up  in  close  proximity  both  to  the  north  and 
west.  In  the  rear  of  the  village,  the  soil  rises  gradually  to  a 
low  series  of  ridges,  from  the  top  of  which,  at  some  distance 
from  Hishi,  the  eye  ranges  far  off  toward  the  plains  and  the 
basin  of  the  salt  lakes.  These  ridges  are  convenient  posts 
of  observation.  Scouts  placed  there  can  descry  the  ap 
proach  of  hostile  Apaches.  The  latter  roam  up  and  down 
the  plains,  following  the  irrmense  herds  of  buffalo,  and 
prey  upon  the  village  Indians  whenever  the  latter  present 
any  opportunity  for  a  successful  surprise. 

The  buffalo  himself  not  infrequently  comes  to  graze 
within  a  ?hort  distance  of  Hishi.  South  of  the  present 


468  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

ruins  lies  the  buffalo  spring.  When  the  dark  masses  of  this 
greatest  of  American  quadrupeds  are  descried  from  the 
heights  above  the  village,  the  Tanos  go  out  with  bow  and 
arrow;  and  woe  to  the  straggling  steer  or  calf  that  lags 
behind.  Like  the  wolf,  the  Indian  rarely  attacked  any  but 
isolated  animals.  Only  when  a  communal  hunt  was  organ 
ized,  and  a  whole  village  sallied  forth  to  make  war  upon  the 
mighty  king  of  the  prairies, — only  then,  previous  to  the 
introduction  of  fire-arms,  could  the  redman  venture  to  as 
sault  even  a  small  herd  or  the  rear-guard  of  a  numer 
ous  column. 

September  is  drawing  to  a  close,  and  the  autumnal  sky  is 
as  cloudless  and  as  pure  over  Hishi  as  it  is  over  most  of  the 
other  portions  of  New  Mexico.  But  in  the  hollow  where 
the  village  is  situated  the  sun  is  scorching,  as  Hishi  lies 
much  lower  than  the  "  corner  in  the  east "  and  lower  than 
the  Rito.  The  chaparro  flowers,  in  dense  masses  of  deep 
yellow,  carpet  the  earth ;  and  the  dark  pine  forests  on 
the  mountain-slopes  stare,  while  yellow  streaks  sweep  up 
among  the  dusky  timber.  In  the  distance  we  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sandia  range  glistening 
in  the  bright  yellow  hue  of  the  flowers  that  cover  miles  of 
its  slanting  surface. 

On  the  ridges  south  of  Hishi  human  figures  stand.  They 
are  scattered,  watching  and  spying  attentively.  They  are 
videttes,  —  outposts,  placed  to  scan  the  plains  and  the 
slopes  of  the  mountains,  lest  some  enemy  sneak  up  and 
pounce  upon  the  defenceless  village.  For  at  the  time  of 
which  we  are  speaking  the  Tanos,  or  Hishi,  are  not  only 
defenceless,  but  singularly  unsuspecting  and  heedless  of 
danger.  They  would  be  at  the  mercy  of  an  enemy,  were  it 
not  for  these  guards  and  scouts,  who  watch  and  pry,  strain 
ing  every  organ  of  perception  that  their  people  at  home  may 
be  without  care  while  singing,  praying,  and  making  merry 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  469 

Is  not  the  dance  now  going  on  at  the  village  danced,  prayed, 
and  sung  for  their  benefit  also? 

Whenever  these  outposts  turn  toward  their  pueblo  they 
see  clouds  of  dust  rising  from  it,  hear  loud  rhythmic  shout 
ing,  whoops  and  yells,  beating  of  drums,  and  the  shrill 
sounds  of  flutes.  A  haze  seems  to  cover  the  tall  and  long 
terraced  buildings  quite  distinct  from  the  vertical  columns 
of  sand-whirls  that  drift  over  the  plain  of  Galisteo,  in  calm 
weather  rising  above  the  horizon  like  thin  films  of  smoke. 

It  is  a  great  day  at  Hishi.  A  dance  is  performed,  songs 
are  sung,  and  prayers  and  sacrifices  are  offered  that  shall  be 
powerful  with  Those  Above.  The  people  make  merry  over 
the  fruits  of  the  soil  that  have  now  matured.  They  are 
grateful,  and  they  wish  to  be  precious  to  the  higher  powers 
in  years  to  come.  The  great  harvest  dance  is  performed 
to-day.  A  long  procession  perambulates  the  long  village. 
The  Koshare  trot  ahead.  They  are  the  same  black  and 
white  goblins  with  whom  we  are  already  acquainted,  but 
their  bodies  are  decorated  now  with  ripe  fruit,  with  small 
squashes  and  ears  of  corn,  all  strung  to  cords  of  fibre  or 
buckskin,  and  hung  over  their  shoulders  like  wreaths.  Wild 
sunflowers  adorn  their  heads.  They  are  followed  by  the 
Cuirana,  whose  bodies  are  daubed  over  with  bluish  clay. 
Then  the  general  public  tramp  along.  The  procession  is 
divided  into  four  sections,  the  faces  of  all  being  painted  ad 
libitum.  The  first  detachment  is  led  by  an  old  man  whose 
snow-white  hair  supports  a  wreath  of  yellow  blossoms.  He 
is  the  so-called  summer  cacique. 

The  winter  cacique  leads  on  the  second  group.  Behind 
each  ear  he  wears  a  tall  plume  from  the  wings  of  the  eagle, 
and  around  his  neck  are  strung  rows  upon  rows  of  sacred 
shell  beads,  turquoises,  and  gaudy  pebbles.  The  third  is 
preceded  by  the  great  shaman  of  the  hunt.  His  dress  is 
a  tight-fitting  suit  of  buckskin ;  long  fringes  depend  frosa 


470  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

his  sleeves,  and  the  front  and  shoulders  of  his  jacket  are 
profusely  embroidered  with  porcupine-quills.  A  small 
plumelet  of  eagle-down  dances  over  his  head.  The  last 
section  is  led  by  the  highest  shaman.  His  head  is  also 
decorated  with  yellow  flowers,  and  a  green  and  a  yellow 
plume  stand  erect  behind  each  ear.  The  war  shaman  is 
not  to  be  seen;  the  spirits  of  strife  have  nothing  to  do 
with  the  feast  of  peace.  The  war  captain  and  his  assistants 
accompany  the  procession  to  keep  order  and  clear  the  way. 

This  long,  long  pageant  winds  on,  meandering  through  the 
pueblo  to  the  sound  of  drums,  of  flutes,  and  of  monotonous 
chants ;  the  white  satyrs  go  ahead,  then  follow  the  blue  ones, 
then  come  in  single  file  the  men,  vigorously  stamping,  and 
behind  each  a  woman,  tripping  lightly. 

Every  man  is  loaded  with  fruit  of  some  kind,  and  carries 
corn  and  squashes  also  in  each  hand.  Every  woman  or 
girl  bears  on  her  head  a  basket  of  willows  or  yucca  filled 
with  corn-cakes,  yucca  preserve,  and  other  delicacies,  prod 
ucts  of  the  vegetable  kingdom.  It  is  a  procession  of  baskets 
filing  through  Hishi,  solemn  and  sober,  and  in  the  main  ex 
tremely  monotonous.  At  intervals  the  Koshare  break  ranks 
to  cut  a  few  capers,  but  to-day  the  Delight  Makers  of  the 
Tehuas  are  remarkably  decent,  for  they  are  those,  par  excel 
lence,  who  say  grace.  Since  their  labours  have  been  re 
warded,  and  the  crops  are  now  ripe,  and  the  people  have 
sufficient  food,  they  are  merry  in  the  prospects  of  an  easy 
winter,  and  there  is  no  need  of  any  artificial  delight-making. 

The  procession  has  passed  through  the  entire  village  and 
returned  to  one  of  its  main  squares.  The  end  of  the  pageant 
is  still  on  the  march  when  the  Koshare  break  ranks  again 
and  cluster  in  the  centre  of  the  square.  From  every  side 
bystanders  come  up  with  fruits,  scattering  them  over  the 
ground  where  the  Delight  Makers  are  waiting;  and  when 
the  soil  is  well  covered  with  squash,  corn,  and  other  veg- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  4/1 

etables,  the  white  satyrs  begin  to  dance  with  the  most 
serious  faces,  singing  and  lifting  their  hands  to  the  skies. 
Gradually  the  whole  of  the  offering  is  crushed,  and  at 
last  pounded  into  the  earth  by  the  feet  of  the  dancing 
clowns.  The  earth  has  brought  forth  the  necessaries  of 
life  to  man ;  now  man,  in  token  of  gratitude,  returns  a 
tribute  to  the  earth. 

As  soon  as  this  part  of  the  ceremony  is  over,  there  arises 
a  great  shout  from  all  sides.  Ears  of  corn,  gourds,  cakes  of 
corn  meal,  pieces  of  dried  preserve,  ripe  fruits  of  the  yucca, 
are  thrown  up  into  the  air ;  the  baskets  are  emptied,  and 
bystanders  run  home  to  replenish  them.  Whoever  can 
catch  anything  proceeds  to  devour  it  at  once.  The  whole 
tribe  displays  its  gratitude  by  throwing  heavenward  the  food 
which  heaven  has  enabled  it  to  raise.  Man  intercepts  and 
enjoys  it  after  the  will  and  the  deed  have  satisfied  the 
invisible  powers  on  high. 

The  usual  mass  of  spectators  are  gathered  on  the  roofs 
and  along  the  walls  of  the  houses.  When  the  noisy  dis 
tribution  of  offerings  begins,  many  run  to  get  their  share. 
But  it  is  not  those  who  are  most  eager  that  are  most  con 
sidered  ;  it  seems  that  the  bulk  of  the  food  thrown  into  the 
air  is  showering  down  upon  a  row  of  houses  on  whose  ter 
races  stands  a  group  of  men,  women,  and  children  who 
seem  no  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  Hishi,  manifesting  this 
not  so  much  in  dress  as  from  their  distant  and  timid  deport 
ment.  All  of  them  are  very  poorly  clad,  the  children 
mostly  naked ;  and  yet  here  and  there  a  girl  among  them 
wears  a  new  hide,  and  some  old  woman  a  new  white  cotton 
wrap.  Their  pieces  of  clothing  appear  like  new  mendings  on 
old  rags,  or  like  a  substantial  shawl  thrown  over  scanty  vest 
ments.  The  older  members  of  this  peculiar  group  look  down 
upon  the  merry  spectacle  below  with  grave  and  melancholy 
eyes;  the  younger  would  fain  be  merry  also,  but  sadness 


472  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

lurks  in  their  smiles.  The  children  alone  yield  fully  to  the 
excitement  and  happiness  of  the  hour.  As  the  gifts  fall 
down  from  above  the  older  ones  do  not  attempt  to  seize 
them ;  the  girls  and  younger  women  gather  what  they  can 
and  place  them  carefully  in  a  heap.  What  the  children  do 
not  succeed  in  devouring  at  once  is  taken  away  from  them 
and  placed  with  the  rest.  They  are  improving  the  oppor 
tunity  to  lay  in  stores,  and  the  Tanos  lend  them  a  willing 
hand.  Spectators  below  turn  over  to  them  what  has  fallen 
to  their  share,  others  place  what  they  have  secured  with  the 
little  hoard  the  strangers  are  accumulating.  For  these  peo 
ple,  so  poorly  clad  and  looking  so  needy,  must  be  strangers 
in  the  village  of  Hishi.  Strangers,  yes;  but  strangers  in 
need ;  and  could  there  be  any  sacrifice,  any  offering,  more 
agreeable  to  those  on  high  than  the  feeding  of  people  whom 
they  allow  to  live  by  thrusting  them  on  the  charity  of  fellow- 
beings?  These  strangers  are  after  all  but  children  of  the 
same  spiritual  parents  from  the  upper  world,  and  as  such 
they  are  brothers,  sisters,  and  relatives. 

That  the  strangers  are  village  Indians  can  easily  be  seen. 
It  is  proved  by  the  cut  of  the  hair,  and  by  the  rags  which 
still  protect  their  bodies  from  absolute  nakedness.  But  the 
tongue  they  speak  is  different  from  that  spoken  by  the  peo 
ple  of  Hishi.  To  us,  however,  it  is  not  new.  We  have 
heard  that  dialect  before.  It  is  the  Queres  language,  the 
language  of  the  Rito.  The  strangers  are  the  lost  ones  whom 
Hayoue  and  Zashue  have  sought  so  anxiously  and  with  so 
much  suffering,  and  for  the  sake  of  whom  they  have  ex 
posed  their  lives  a  hundred  times  perhaps,  in  vain.  Zashue 
was  right,  the  fugitives  had  turned  south  from  the  Bocas ; 
and  had  Hayoue  been  less  self-sufficient  they  would  have 
found  them  ere  now. 

Still  we  miss  among  that  little  band  of  Queres  fugitives 
those  with  whom  we  have  become  more  closely  acquainted. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  473 

In  vain  we  look  for  Say  Koitza,  for  Mitsha,  for  Okoya.  Can 
it  be  true,  as  Hayoue  surmised,  that  his  bosom  friend, 
Zashue's  eldest  son,  is  dead? 

The  throwing  about  of  fruit  has  ceased  ;  the  dance  is  re 
sumed,  and  new  figures  may  appear.  Everybody  hushes,  and 
fastens  his  gaze  on  the  performance. 

The  dancers  have  formed  a  wide  ring.  Men  and  women 
hold  each  other  by  the  hands,  and  dance  in  a  circle  around 
the  place  which  has  been  covered  with  objects  of  sacrifice. 
One  after  the  other,  the  Koshare,  the  Cuirana,  after  them 
each  one  of  the  four  sections,  step  within  the  circle,  stamp 
ing  down  the  fruits  spread  out  there.  Two  or  three  of  the 
Delight  Makers  improve  the  occasion  to  cut  some  of  their 
usual  capers,  and  the  spectators  laugh  to  their  heart's  con 
tent.  Laughter  is  contagious,  it  captures  even  the  melan 
choly  group  of  Queres ;  the  old  among  them  smile,  the 
young  chuckle,  the  children  shout  and  yell  from  sheer  de 
light.  One  boy  in  particular  is  very  conspicuous  from  the 
intense  interest  he  takes  in  everything  the  Koshare  are 
doing.  He  is  about  ten  years  of  age.  A  dirty  breech- 
clout  constitutes  his  only  vestment,  but  a  necklace  of  multi 
coloured  pebbles  adorns  his  neck  ;  and  as  often  as  a  Koshare 
grimaces,  or  makes  an  extraordinary  gesture,  or  displays  his 
tongue  to  the  public,  this  boy  jumps  up,  screams  and  shouts, 
and  screeches  in  delirious  joy.  His  whole  heart  is  with  the 
Koshare ;  he  imitates  their  movements,  improves  on  their 
gestures  to  such  a  degree  that  those  around  him  smile,  ex 
changing  winks  of  approval  as  if  saying,  "  He  will  be  a  good 
one." 

The  head  of  a  girl  slowly  rises  through  a  hatchway ;  and  as 
her  face  turns  toward  us,  we  recognize  the  soft,  beaming  eyes 
of  Mitsha  Koitza.  The  maiden  looks  thinner,  her  features 
sharper.  She  remains  standing  on  the  notched  beam  serv 
ing  as  a  ladder,  and  calls  out,  — 


474  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

"  Shyuote  ! " 

No  reply  is  made  to  the  call.  The  din  and  noise  of  the 
dance  drown  her  voice,  and  all  are  so  occupied  by  the  sights 
that  none  pay  any  attention  to  her.  The  youngster  who  has 
been  devoting  all  his  time  to  the  pranks  of  the  Delight 
Makers  jumps  forward  in  his  enthusiasm,  and  would  have 
tumbled  sheer  over  the  low  parapet  encircling  the  roof  had 
not  one  of  the  men  standing  near  grasped  his  hair  and 
pulled  him  back.  It  saved  the  boy's  life,  but  the  urchin  is 
highly  displeased  at  the  informal  manner  in  which  he  is  re 
strained.  He  screams  and  struggles  to  free  himself.  Again 
the  voice  of  the  maiden  is  heard  ;  this  time  it  is  louder  and 
the  tone  commanding. 

"  Shyuote  ! " 

"  She  is  calling  you,  uak,"  the  man  says  who  has  saved  the 
brat. 

"  I  won't  go,"  retorts  our  old  friend  Shyuote,  for  he  it  is 
who  attempts  to  play  at  Koshare  here. 

"  Shyuote,  come  to  sanaya  !  "  again  calls  the  maiden. 

The  mention  of  his  mother  creates  a  stir  among  the  by 
standers.  They  forget  the  dance  and  turn  toward  Mitsha. 
Shyuote  still  refuses  to  obey,  but  the  others  push  him  for 
cibly  to  the  hatchway.  Several  of  the  women  approach 
Mitsha,  and  one  inquires  of  her  in  a  subdued  voice,  — 

"  How  goes  it  below?  " 

The  girl's  eyes  fill  with  tears.     At  last  she  whispers,  — 

"  It  goes  —  to  Shipapu."  She  turns  around  and  disap* 
pears  beneath,  sobbing.  Shyuote  is  sent  after  her. 

The  people  stand  and  shake  their  heads.  The  news 
wanders  from  lip  to  lip,  "  She  is  dying."  All  the  pleasure, 
every  interest  in  the  performance,  has  vanished.  Indiffer 
ent  to  the  celebration,  the  Queres  bang  their  heads  in  sad 
ness  ;  yet  no  complaint  is  heard,  not  a  tear  glistens  in  those 
mournful  eyes.  She  is  only  dying,  not  dead. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  475 

But  who  is  dying?  The  query  cannot  be  answered  up 
here.  Let  us  go  down  and  follow  Mitsha. 

In  the  dingy  room  of  an  Indian  home,  where  light  and 
air  penetrate  through  a  single  diminutive  air-hole,  sit  and 
crouch  half  a  dozen  people.  They  surround  at  some  dis 
tance  a  human  being  whose  head  rests  on  a  bundle  of  skins, 
the  body  on  a  buffalo-robe.  The  knees  are  drawn  up,  and 
cotton  mantles  cover  the  lower  extremities.  The  chest, 
scantily  covered  with  a  ragged,  dark-coloured  wrap,  heaves 
at  long  intervals  ;  the  extremities  begin  to  stretch ;  the  face 
is  devoid  of  expression ;  the  eyes  are  wide  open,  staring, 
glassy ;  the  lips  parted ;  and  on  each  side  of  the  mouth- 
corners  ominous  wrinkles  begin  to  form.  The  sufferer  is  a 
woman,  and  as  we  look  closer  we  recognize  her  as  Say 
Koitza,  the  wife  of  Zashue.  He  must  hasten  his  steps  if  he 
wishes  to  find  her  upon  earth,  for  she  is  dying ! 

It  is  very  still  in  the  room.  The  prayers  which  the 
medicine-man  of  the  Tanos  has  been  reciting  are  hushed, 
the  little  idols  of  lava  with  red-painted  faces  and  eyes  made 
of  turquoises  by  means  of  which  he  hoped  to  conjure  the 
sickness,  lean  against  the  wall  useless.  Those  whose  duty 
it  is  cower  about  the  dying  woman,  and  look  on  speechless. 
How  faint  the  breathings  grow,  how  the  chest  rises  and  falls 
at  longer  intervals,  weaker  every  time  !  They  listen  as  the 
rattling  in  her  throat  becomes  harder  and  slower.  They 
dare  not  weep,  for  all  is  not  over. 

Say  Koitza  is  dying !  Not  the  sudden  death  she  once 
prayed  for  when  Topanashka  her  father  went  over  to 
Shipapu ;  but  still  she  dies  a  painless  death,  —  she  dies  from 
exhaustion. 

What  is  going  on  in  her  mind  while  the  fetters  which  tied 
her  soul  to  the  body  are  being  dissolved?  That  body  is 
henceforth  powerless;  it  has  no  wants,  no  cravings.  The 
soul  becomes  free.  Can  it  already  glance  beyond?  Not 


476  TH£  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

yet,  for  as  long  as  earthly  matter  clings  to  him  man  cannot 
perceive  the  other  world.  Flashes  of  light  gleam  through 
the  mist  in  which  he  is  plunged,  through  both  physical 
weakness  and  the  efforts  of  the  soul  to  become  free.  The 
body  struggles  for  preservation,  the  spirit  for  freedom  from 
its  henceforth  useless  shell. 

Are  mind  and  body  merely  one?  Does  not  death  pu* 
an  end  to  everything  that  we  ever  were  and  can  be  ?  Does 
there  remain  after  death  anything  beyond  the  memory  of 
our  former  existence,  preserved  in  the  hearts  of  our  fellow- 
beings?  Nobody  has  ever  returned  from  beyond  the  grave 
to  tell  us  how  he  felt,  what  he  thought,  while  dying.  But 
a  dying  person  always  casts  rays  of  light  over  his  surround 
ings,  and  the  surroundings  of  dying  Say  Koitza  are  not 
without  their  lesson  for  us. 

What  do  we  see?  A  man  sits  near  the  dying  woman. 
He  lifts  up  his  hands  and  stares ;  it  is  the  medicine- man, 
ana  he  has  done  his  utmost ;  he  is  powerless,  his  art  useless. 
What  he  did  was  done  in  the  conviction  that  spiritual  in 
fluences,  however  grossly  conceived  and  coarsely  applied, 
could  compel  the  soul  to  master  the  body's  ailment,  could 
prop  up  the  sinking  machinery  and  strengthen  the  motive 
power  without  regard  to  its  decaying  tools.  To-day,  pro 
vided  the  body  is  helped  along  with  physical  means,  the 
soul  would  remain  against  its  will,  or  against  the  will  of  what 
stands  in  closer  relation  to  it  originally  than  the  form  which 
it  has  animated  here  beneath.  If  mind  and  body  were  one, 
either  method  could  be  successful.  Neither  is,  when  death 
steps  in  to  proclaim  their  separation. 

By  the  side  of  the  shaman  a  young  man  leans  against  the 
wall.  He  is  well-built  and  lithe.  His  head  is  bent  so  low 
in  grief  that  the  dark  hair  streams  over  his  face,  concealing 
his  features.  The  youth  is  mourning,  mourning  deeply. 
Over  what?  Over  the  body  or  its  sufferings?  No,  he 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  477 

mourns  because  of  an  impending  separation.  From  what  ? 
From  the  form  of  her  whom  he  will  miss?  No,  for  that 
form  will  not  leave  this  earth  in  substance.  He  mourns 
for  something  that  goes  beyond  his  grasp,  and  remains 
beyond  it  so  long  as  he  himself  moves  upon  this  earth. 

Mitsha  also  is  here.  She  has  properly  no  right  to  be 
for  she  does  not  belong  to  the  same  clan  as  Say ;  but  she 
has  remained,  and  nobody  has  objected  to  her  presence. 
She  has  not  craved  permission,  it  has  come  by  tacit  consent. 
Mitsha  has  felt  that  Say  was  approaching  the  point  when 
the  soul  breaks  loose  and  flits  to  another  realm,  and  she 
wishes  to  remain  with  her  to  the  last.  If  that  soul  should 
drop  like  a  shrivelled  fruit,  to  decay  and  perish  forever, 
nobody  would  bend  to  gaze  fondly  at  it.  But  if  it  flutter 
upward,  we  follow  it  with  our  eyes  as  long  as  we  can,  un 
consciously  thinking,  "  How  happy  you  are,  free  now ;  and 
how  much  I  wish  to  be  with  you."  The  very  grief  caused 
by  the  separation,  the  longing,  the  clinging  to  him  or  to  her 
whom  we  know  to  be  leaving  us,  are  signs  that  there  is 
something  beyond,  something  which  we  are  loath  to  lose 
but  sure  to  find  again  elsewhere.  Mitsha  has  known  Okoya's 
mother  but  little,  but  the  fearful  distress  of  the  past  two 
months  has  brought  them  together  at  last.  Now  the  girl 
weeps,  but  not  loudly,  at  the  thought  of  separation.  If 
death  be  annihilation,  tears  are  of  no  avail.  But  if  death 
be  a  promise  of  life  in  another  condition,  then,  child,  well 
may  you  shed  tears,  for  your  grief  is  a  token  of  hope. 

Shyuote  stands  at  the  foot  of  the  beam,  gaping.  His 
mother  lies  so  still,  she  breathes  so  loudly.  How  well  she 
must  be  sleeping  !  Why  did  they  call  him  down  at  all  ? 
It  would  have  been  much  nicer  upstairs  where  there  are 
Koshare  to  be  seen.  He  knows  well  enough  that  sanaya  is 
sick,  but  as  long  as  she  has  such  good  rest  she  ought  to  feel 
well.  A  child  «  not  afraid  of  a  dying  mother,  and  when 


4/8  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

she  has  breathed  her  last  is  convinced  that  she  must  be 
•,  happy.  To  be  well  is  compatible  in  the  minds  of  children 
only  with  life.  Death  therefore  appears  to  them  as  a  step 
into  a  better  and  more  beautiful  existence.  Children  and 
fools  tell  the  truth.  The  gleam  of  light  which  from  dying 
Say  is  cast  on  her  unruly  son  is  but  the  rosy  hue  of  a  hopeful 
twilight. 

The  remaining  occupants  of  the  room  stand  with  sad 
looks;  they  are  all  women  but  one,  a  middle-aged  man. 
They  do  not  feel  the  occasion  except  so  far  as  there  is 
A  certain  solemnity  connected  with  it.  Silent  and  grave, 
they  watch  a  process  going  on  whose  real  nature  they 
cannot  understand  except  as  a  momentous  and  appalling 
change.  Change  is  only  transformation,  not  annihilation. 

Say  Koitza  has  been  lying  thus  for  several  days.  The 
end  is  near  at  hand,  and  yet  hours  may  elapse  ere  she  dies. 
60  still  it  is  in  the  apartment  that  nobody  dares  even  move. 
Rising  and  falling  come  the  song  and  the  noise  of  the  dance 
from  the  outside,  but  they  seem  to  halt  at  the  little  open 
ing,  as  if  an  invisible  medium  would  interpose  itself,  saying, 
"  Stay  out,  for  within  there  ripens  a  fruit  for  another  and  a 
better  world." 

Mitsha  glides  over  to  the  young  man  with  the  dark,  stream 
ing  hair  and  touches  his  arm  lightly.  He  looks  up  and 
at  her.  It  is  Okoya,  —  Okoya,  whom  we  believed  to  be 
dead,  but  who  stands  here  by  the  side  of  his  dying  mother. 
He  also  looks  emaciated  and  wan.  After  all  the  dangers 
and  misery  of  a  protracted  flight  this  hour  has  come  upon 
him.  The  eyes  of  the  two  meet ;  their  looks  express  neithei 
tenderness  nor  passion,  but  a  perfect  understanding  thai 
betokens  a  union  which  even  death  cannot  destroy.  It  is 
that  simple,  natural  attachment  which  forms  the  basis  of 
Indian  wedlock  when  the  parties  are  congenial  to  each 
other. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  479 

That  the  two  are  one  can  be  plainly  seen.  As  yet  no 
outward  sanction  has  been  given  to  their  union ;  but  they  are 
tacitly  regarded  as  belonging  to  each  other,  and  no  opposi 
tion  is  offered  to  an  intimacy  which  lacks  but  the  bond  of 
marriage.  Passion  has  little  to  do  with  that  intimacy ;  the 
severe  trials  of  the  past  have  riveted  them  together  on  a 
higher  plane. 

Mitsha  has  made  a  sign  to  the  young  man.  Both  steal 
from  the  chamber  noiselessly  and  climb  to  the  roof.  He 
goes  first  and  she  follows,  as  is  customary  among  Indians. 
Once  up  there  the  dance  attracts  Okoya's  attention  for  a 
moment.  He  has  not  seen  anything  of  it  as  yet,  for  all 
day  he  has  remained  by  his  mother's  side. 

Shyuote  improves  the  opportunity  to  slip  out  also.  As 
he  sees  his  brother  and  future  sister-in-law  go  out,  he  follows. 
Why  should  he  stay  down  any  longer  ?  His  mother  is  well. 
She  sleeps  soundly  and  breathes  so  loud  !  She  certainly  is 
improving,  and  up  there  he  can  see  Koshare.  But  he  is 
careful  not  to  let  Mitsha  see  him ;  her  positive  ways  are 
distasteful,  so  he  creeps  in  among  the  spectators  where  her 
eyes  cannot  follow  and  soon  has  lost  sight  of  everything  in 
contemplation  of  the  Koshare. 

The  appearance  of  Okoya  and  Mitsha  on  the  roof  attracts 
no  attention.  As  long  as  the  death-wail  is  not  sounded, 
none  but  those  of  her  clan  have  a  right  to  be  with  the  dying. 
Still  one  or  other  of  the  women  casts  an  inquisitive  glance 
at  Mitsha ;  a  slight  shake  of  her  head  is  sufficient  answer  to 
them.  The  young  pair  go  to  one  side ;  he  sits  down  on  the 
parapet  of  the  roof  and  she  beside  him.  Their  eyes  follow 
the  dance,  but  their  thoughts  are  elsewhere.  Okoya  whispers 
at  last,  "  Sanaya  is  dying." 

Mitsha  nods,  and  tears  come  to  her  eyes.  Here  she  is 
not  afraid  to  weep.  Okoya  continues,  — 

"  I  knew  it  would  happen.     Yonder  "  —  he  points  at  the 


480  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

mountains  —  "I  heard  the  owl,  and  I  knew  it  meant  what  is 
now  coming  upon  us." 

The  girl  shudders.  She  weeps  no  longer ;  dread  scenes 
of  the  past  are  looming  up  before  her  mind. 

"  In  the  kote,"  says  she,  "  it  was  very  bad.  Do  you  re 
member  over  on  the  other  side  of  the  great  river  on  the 
mesa,  from  which  one  can  see  so  very  far,  almost  over 
where  we  are  now?" 

"Not  as  far  as  that,"  replied  Okoya,  in  a  quiet  tone. 
"  but  far  enough.  You  are  right,  makatza ;  on  the  mesa  we 
Buffered  much ;  there  the  Moshome  did  us  a  great  deal  ol 
harm.  If  it  had  not  been  for  you  we  should  not  be  here." 

"  For  me?  "  Mitsha  asked  in  surprise. 

"  Yes,  you.  You  saved  me,  saved  the  yaya,  saved  Shyuote 
from  the  fierce  shuatyam  !  Yes,  surely,"  he  continued  as 
the  girl  shook  her  head  incredulously.  "  Do  you  remember, 
sa  uishe,  when  one  Moshome  was  holding  my  hands  while 
another  struck  at  me  with  his  club?  You  took  a  big  stone 
and  hit  him  so  that  he  fell  and  I  could  kill  the  other.  After 
ward  you  took  the  bow  away  from  the  dead  Moshome,  and 
you  did  as  much  with  it  as  I  did  with  mine.  Yes,  indeed, 
you  are  strong,  but  you  are  wise  too,  and  good."  He  fast 
ened  his  eyes  on  her  with  a  deep,  earnest  look,  and  the  girl 
turned  away  her  face.  She  felt  embarrassed. 

"  We  shall  be  happy  when  you  have  built  your  house  and 
you  dwell  in  it  as  my  koitza,"  Okoya  whispered. 

Mitsha  cast  her  eyes  to  the  ground,  and  a  faint  glow  ap 
peared  on  her  bronzed  cheeks.  The  young  man  was  not 
misled  by  her  manner,  he  knew  well  enough  that  she  liked 
him  to  speak  in  this  way. 

"  Sanaya  goes  to  Shipapu,"  said  he,  moving  closer  to  her, 
"  and  I  must  have  a  koitza.  You  said  you  would  be  mine 
and  I  should  be  your  husband.  It  was  the  night  of  the 
council  on  the  Tyuonyi.  Do  you  remember?" 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  481 

"  I  do,  and  so  it  will  be,"  she  said,  raising  her  head.  Her 
large  eyes  beamed  upon  him  with  an  expression  of  softness 
and  deep  joy.  "  But  whither  shall  we  go  ?  Here  we  are 
strangers ;  and  the  Puyatye,  although  they  are  very  good  to 
us,  speak  a  tongue  we  do  not  understand.  Shall  we  return 
to  the  Tyuonyi  and  live  with  my  mother  and  the  hanutsh  ?  " 

"  Are  you  sure  that  your  mother  is  still  alive  ?  Are  you 
sure  that  there  is  a  single  one  of  our  people  alive?"  Okoya 
objected. 

Again  the  eyes  of  Mitsha  grew  moist;  she  turned  her 
head  away  and  Okoya  heard  her  sobs.  Well  did  he  under 
stand  her  grief;  it  was  stirred  for  the  fate  of  her  parents. 
Had  he,  had  she,  known  all  that  had  happened  on  the  Rito  ! 

A  tremendous  shout  arose  from  the  dancing  crowd  below. 
The  distribution  of  gifts  was  beginning  anew.  Again  the 
majority  of  the  missiles  were  directed  toward  the  Queres ; 
a  perfect  shower  of  provisions,  cooked  and  raw,  pattered 
down  upon  the  strangers.  A  large  ear  of  corn  tumbled  into 
Mitsha's  lap,  and  she  handed  it  to  Okoya,  whispering,  — 

"  The  Shiuana  are  good." 

"  They  are.  They  are  good  also  to  the  yaya,  for  they  take 
her  away  to  Shipapu,  where  there  is  no  hunger  as  on  the 
shore  of  the  great  stream." 

He  sighed,  and  gazed  to  the  west,  where  the  San  Francisco 
mountains  stood.  Beyond  them,  along  the  northern  base 
of  the  Sierra  de  Sandia,  in  the  sandy  bottom  of  the  Rio 
Grande,  uninhabited  at  this  time,  they  had  suffered  from 
hunger  and  heat.  There  misery  had  reached  its  climax.  It 
is  terrible  even  in  our  days  to  be  compelled  to  flee  from 
house  and  home  in  time  of  war  into  the  cold,  strange  world. 
And  yet  nowadays  one  can  flee  to  one's  kind ;  and  where 
there  are  human  beings  there  are  hearts.  But  in  the  days 
of  old,  and  for  Indians,  it  was  not  only  distressing,  it  was 
ghastly  to  be  obliged  to  fly.  Nature  alone  stared  them  in 

21 


482  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

the  face,  and  Nature  has  no  heart,  although  it  is  said  that 
^  we  are  one  with  her.  The  Navajos  had  driven  away  the 
fugitives,  had  tracked  and  tormented  them  fearfully,  and  yet 
once  relieved  from  the  enemy's  clutches  and  thrust  upon 
Nature  alone,  the  wretched  band  regretted  the  days  when 
the  ruthless  enemy  swarmed  about  them.  The  Moshome 
at  least  fed  those  whom  they  captured,  and  those  whom 
they  killed  were  happy  forever.  Nature  knows  but  law  and 
force,  and  whoever  depends  upon  her  at  a  time  when  her 
laws  will  not  tolerate  the  existence  of  man,  falls  a  victim  to 
the  power  of  her  forces. 

Now  all  this  was  past.  It  rained  gifts  about  them,  and 
with  a  sad  smile  Mitsha  gathered  them  into  a  little  pile. 
Okoya  looked  on;  he  thought  the  girl  was  making  pro 
vision  for  their  future  household. 

The  distribution  stopped,  for  the  dancers  were  resting. 
They  began  to  sit  down  along  the  walls  of  the  houses  to 
rest  and  to  enjoy  the  needed  recess.  Mitsha  took  some 
of  the  fruit  on  her  arm,  and  said  to  Okoya,  — 

"  Come,  let  us  go  down  again." 

"What  do  you  want  to  do  with  that?"  asked  he,  desig 
nating  her  little  burden. 

"  I  give  it  to  the  Chayan  for  what  the  Shiuana  are 
doing  for  our  mother." 

Even  in  the  state  of  most  abject  poverty,  the  Indian 
shows  gratitude  to  Those  Above. 

The  head  of  a  man  rises  above  the  hatchway  and  sig 
nals  the  two  young  people  gravely,  sadly.  They  descend 
hastily ;  Okoya  remains  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
and  Mitsha  goes  over  to  him  as  soon  as  she  has  deposited 
her  burden.  As  nobody  notices  her  she  grasps  his  hand, 
and  he  presses  it  softly  with  his  own.  Say  Koitza  remains 
in  the  same  position  as  before,  but  she  lies  more  extended, 
and  her  chest  heaves  no  longer.  The  by-standers  are  mo- 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  483 

tionless  like  statues,  expectant.  A  last  rattle  sounds  from 
the  throat  of  the  woman;  a  deep  heavy  effort,  and  all  is 
over.  Light  froth  issues  from  her  lips.  Say  Koitza  has 
breathed  her  last. 

It  has  become  very  quiet  outside,  as  if  men  there  had 
guessed  at  what  was  going  on  within.  In  the  little  apart 
ment  it  is  as  still  as  the  grave,  —  a  stillness  which  speaks 
louder  to  the  heart  than  the  mightiest  sound,  and  which  is 
appropriately  designated  by  the  popular  saying,  "There 
is  an  angel  flitting  through  the  room." 

This  stillness  might  have  lasted  long ;  but  now  the  noise 
and  uproar  arise  again  outside,  and  with  full  power  the 
sounds  of  delight  and  mirth  break  into  the  dingy  cell  like 
mighty  waves.  With  the  departure  of  life  from  the  body, 
it  is  as  if  a  barrier  that  forbade  entrance  to  noise  from 
the  outer  world  had  been  drawn  away,  permitting  the 
sounds  of  joy  to  come  in  triumphantly,  now  that  the  soul 
is  free.  They  find  an  echo  inside,  a  dismal  echo  of  lamen 
tations  and  tears.  Mitsha  cannot  weep  boisterously  like 
the  rest,  neither  can  Okoya.  The  two  lean  toward  each 
other  sobbing;  the  girl  has  grasped  his  arm  with  both 
hands,  her  head  rests  on  his  shoulder,  and  she  weeps. 

The  lament  below  has  been  heard  on  the  roof;  it  is  a  sig 
nal  to  rush  down  and  join  in  it.  Soon  the  room  is  crowded 
with  people ;  the  women  grasp  their  hair  and  pull  it  over 
their  faces.  .  Dismal  wailing  fills  the  cell.  Among  the  others 
stands  Shyuote,  who  has  been  told  that  his  mother  is  dead. 
He  plants  himself  squarely  with  the  rest,  and  howls  at  the 
top  of  his  voice.  In  front  of  the  house  the  dance  con 
tinues,  and  the  monotonous  chant  and  the  dull  drumming 
ascend  to  the  sky ;  alongside  of  it  the  death-wail. 

Tanos  also  crowd  into  the  room ;  the  throng  is  so  great 
that  the  last  comers  must  stand  on  the  beam.  Suddenly 
they  are  pushed  aside  ;  a  tall  young  man  rushes  down  and 


484  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

makes  room,  regardless  of  the  weeping  and  howling  crowd. 
Up  to  Okoya  he  forces  his  way ;  throws  his  left  arm  around 
him  and  Mitsha;  his  right  hand  seizes  the  hand  of  the 
youth  and  presses  it  against  his  breast.  It  is  Hayoue,  who 
has  come  from  the  north  at  last,  —  his  heart  guiding  him 
to  that  friend  whom  he  has  so  bravely,  so  unwearyingly 
sought. 

Another  Indian  nishes  down  after  Hayoue,  his  motions 
not  less  anxious,  not  less  rapid  and  determined.  He  makes 
his  way  to  the  body  and  falls  down  upon  his  knees,  staring 
with  heaving  chest  but  tearless  eyes  into  the  placid,  ema 
ciated  face.  It  is  Zashue  Tihua.  With  a  tension  akin  to 
despair  he  searches  for  lingering  life  in  the  features  of 
that  wife  whom  he  formerly  neglected  and  afterward  sus 
pected,  whom  he  at  last  anxiously  sought,  and  now  finds 
asleep  in  death. 


CONCLUSION. 

AFTER  twenty-one  long  and  it  may  be  tedious  chapters,  no 
apology  is  required  for  a  short  one  in  conclusion.  I  cannot 
take  leave  of  the  reader,  however,  without  having  made  in 
his  company  a  brief  excursion  through  a  portion  of  New 
Mexico  in  the  direction  of  the  Rito  de  los  Frijoles,  though 
not  quite  so  far. 

We  start  from  Santa  F£,  that  "  corner  in  the  east "  above 
which  the  Tano  village  stood  many  centuries  ago.  We 
proceed  to  the  Rio  Grande  valley,  to  the  little  settlement 
called  Pena  Blanca,  and  to  the  Queres  village,  or  Pueblo  of 
Cochiti.  There  you  will  hear  the  language  that  was  once 
spoken  on  the  Rito ;  you  will  see  the  Indians  with  charac 
teristic  sidelocks,  with  collars  of  turquoises  and  shell  beads, 
but  in  modern  coats  and  trousers,  in  moccasins  and  in  New 
England  boots  and  shoes.  Still  they  are  at  heart  nearly 
the  same  Indians  we  found  them  in  this  story.  I  could 
introduce  you  to  Hayoue,  to  Zashue,  to  Okoya,  and  the 
rest.  If  we  strike  the  time  well,  you  may  witness  the  Ko- 
share  at  their  pranks,  and  in  their  full,  very  unprepossess 
ing  ceremonial  toggery.  At  Cochiti  we  take  a  guide, 
possibly  Hayoue,  and  proceed  northward  in  the  direction 
of  the  Rito. 

For  a  number  of  hours  we  have  to  follow  the  base  of  the 
huge  potreros,  crossing  narrow  ravines,  ascending  steep 
but  not  long  slopes,  until  at  about  noon  we  stand  on  the 


486  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

brink  of  a  gorge  so  deep  that  it  may  be  termed  a  chasm. 
We  look  down  to  a  narrow  bottom  and  groves  of  cotton- 
wood  trees.  To  the  north,  the  chasm  is  walled  in  by 
towering  rocks ;  the  Rio  Grande  flows  through  one  corner ; 
and  on  its  opposite  bank  arise  cliffs  of  trap  lava  and  basalt, 
black  and  threatening,  while  the  rocks  on  the  west  side  are 
bright  red,  yellow,  and  white.  The  trail  to  the  Rito  goes 
down  into  this  abyss  and  climbs  up  on  the  other  side 
through  clefts  and  along  steep  slopes.  But  we  are  not 
going  to  follow  this  trail.  We  turn  to  the  left,  and  with  the 
dizzy  chasm  of  Canon  del  Alamo  to  our  right,  proceed 
westward  on  one  of  the  narrow  tongues  which,  as  the 
reader  may  remember,  descend  toward  the  Rio  Grande 
from  the  high  western  mountains,  and  which  are  called  in 
New  Mexico  potreros.  The  one  on  which  we  are  travel 
ling,  or  rather  the  plateau,  or  mesa,  that  constitutes  its 
surface,  is  called  Potrero  de  las  Vacas. 

For  about  two  hours  we  wander  through  a  thin  forest, 
From  time  to  time  the  trail  approaches  the  brink  of  the 
rocky  chasm  of  the  Canon  del  Alamo,  near  enough  to  have 
its  echo  return  to  us  every  word  we  may  shout  down  into 
its  depths.  Suddenly  the  timber  grows  sparse  and  we  be 
hold  an  open  space  on  a  gentle  rise  before  us.  It  is  a  bare, 
bleak  spot,  perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  and  occupying 
the  entire  width  of  the  mesa,  which  here  is  not  much  broader. 
Beyond,  the  timber  begins  again,  and  in  the  centre  of  the 
opening  we  see  the  fairly  preserved  ruins  of  an  abandoned 
Indian  pueblo. 

There  are  still  in  places  three  stories  visible.  The  walls 
are  of  evenly  broken  parallelepipeds  of  very  friable  pumice- 
stone,  and  the  village  forms  the  usual  quadrangles.  In  the 
centre  is  a  large  square ;  and  no  fewer  than  six,  depressions 
indicate  that  the  Pueblos  had  at  one  time  as  many  as  six 
circular  subterranean  estufas.  In  the  ruins  of  the  dwellings 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  487 

over  four  hundred  cells  are  still  well  defined,  so  that  the 
population  of  this  communal  village  must  formerly  have 
reached  as  high  as  one  thousand  souls.  Over  and  through 
the  ruins  are  scattered  the  usual  vestiges  of  primitive  arts 
and  industry,  —  pottery  fragments  and  arrow-heads.  Sel 
dom  do  we  meet  with  a  stone  hammer,  whereas  grinding- 
slabs  and  grinders  are  frequent,  though  for  the  most  part 
scattered  and  broken. 

The  spot  is  well  selected  for  an  abode  of  sedentary  In 
dians.  An  extensive  view  opens  toward  the  east,  north,  and 
south.  We  see  in  the  east  the  mountains  above  Santa  Fe', 
in  the  south  the  ranges  at  whose  foot  lie  the  ruins  of  Hishi. 
In  the  north  the  high  plateaus  above  the  Rito  shut  out  a 
glimpse  of  the  Puye,  but  a  whitish  streak  in  that  direction 
indicates  the  top  line  of  the  northern  cliffs  that  overhang  the 
Rito  de  los  Frijoles.  Right  and  left  of  the  village,  not  more 
than  a  hundred  yards  from  each  side,  begin  the  rugged  de 
clivities  of  the  sides  of  the  potrero.  If  we  want  to  go  far 
ther  we  can  proceed  to  the  west  only,  and  there  we  soon  get 
into  timber  again. 

A  few  steps  within  that  timber,  and  we  have  before  us  a 
strange  sight.  A  wall  of  rudely  piled  stone  slabs  planted 
upright,  flags  laid  upon  them  crosswise,  and  smaller  frag 
ments  piled  against  and  between  them,  form  a  pentagonal 
enclosure  which  at  first  sight  reminds  us  of  a  diminutive 
Stonehenge.  There  is  an  entrance  to  it  from  the  south 
east,  —  an  open  corridor  flanked  by  similar  parapets.  The 
enclosing  wall  is  not  more  than  three  feet  high,  and  we 
easily  peep  into  the  interior. 

Inside  there  are  two  statues  carved  out  of  the  living  rock 
Although  much  disfigured  to-day  they  still  show  a  plain  re 
semblance  to  the  figures  of  two  crouching  panthers  or  pumas 
They  are  life  size ;  and  the  animals  seem  to  lie  there  with 
their  heads  to  the  east,  their  tails  extended  along  the  ground. 


488  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

As  we  stand  and  gaze,  our  Indian  goes  up  to  the  statues  and 
furtively  anoints  their  heads  with  red  ochre,  muttering  a 
prayer  between  his  teeth. 

What  may  be  the  signification  of  this  statuary?  Do  you 
remember  the  great  dance  at  the  Rito,  and  the  painting  on 
the  wall  of  the  estufa  where  the  Koshare  Naua  sat  and  held 
communication  with  Those  Above?  Do  you  recollect  that 
among  these  paintings  there  was  one  of  a  panther  and  another 
of  a  bear  ?  The  relation  of  the  bear  and  panther  of  the  estufa 
to  the  picture  of  the  sun- father  is  here  that  of  the  two  stone 
panthers  to  the  sun  himself.  Their  faces  are  turned  to  the 
east,  whence  rises  the  sun,  in  which  dwells  the  father  of  all 
mankind,  and  the  moon,  which  their  mother  inhabits.  As 
in  the  estufa  on  the  Rito,  so  in  the  outside  world,  the  pic 
tures  of  stone  express  a  prayer  to  the  higher  powers,  and 
here  daily  the  people  of  the  village  were  wont  to  make  offer 
ings  and  say  their  prayers. 

We  are  therefore  on  sacred  ground  in  this  crumbling  en 
closure.  But  who  knows  that  we  are  not  on  magic  ground 
also  ?  We  might  make  an  experiment ;  and  though  our 
Indian  guide  is  not  one  of  the  great  shamans,  he  might 
help  us  in  an  attempt  at  innocent  jugglery. 

Let  us  suffer  ourselves  to  be  blindfolded,  and  then  turn 
around  three  times  from  left  to  right  while  our  friend 
recites  some  cabalistic  formula,  incomprehensible  of  course 
to  us. 

One,  two,  three  !  The  bandage  is  removed.  What  can 
we  see? 

Nothing  strange  at  first.  Surrounding  nature  is  the  same 
as  before.  The  same  extensive  view,  the  same  snow-clad 
ranges  in  the  far  east,  the  same  silent,  frowning  rocks,  the 
same  dark  pines  around  us.  But  in  the  north,  over  the  yel 
lowish  band  that  denotes  the  cliffs  of  the  Rito,  we  notice  a 
slight  bluish  haze. 


THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS.  489 

A  change  has  taken  place  in  our  immediate  vicinity.  The 
stone  panthers  and  the  stone  enclosure  have  vanished,  and 
fhe  ground  is  bare,  like  all  the  ground  in  the  neighbourhood. 
Looking  beyond  we  see  that  a  transformation  has  also  taken 
place  on  the  spot  where  stood  the  ruin.  The  crumbling 
walls  and  heaps  of  rubbish  are  gone,  and  in  their  place 
newly  built  foundations  are  emerging  from  the  ground ; 
heaps  of  stone,  partly  broken,  are  scattered  about;  and 
where  a  moment  ago  we  were  the  only  living  souls,  now 
Indians  —  village  Indians  like  our  guide,  only  somewhat 
more  primitive  —  move  to  and  fro,  busily  engaged. 

Some  of  them  are  breaking  the  stones  into  convenient 
sizes,  for  the  friable  pumice  breaks  in  parallelepipeds  with 
out  effort.  The  women  are  laying  these  in  mortar  made  of 
the  soil  from  the  mesa,  common  adobe.  We  are  witness 
ing  the  beginning  of  the  construction  of  a  small  village. 
Farther  down,  on  the  edge  of  the  timber,  smoke  arises ; 
there  the  builders  of  this  new  pueblo  dwell  in  huts  while 
their  house  of  stone  is  growing  to  completion.  It  is  the 
month  of  May,  and  only  the  nights  are  cool. 

These  builders  we  easily  recognize.  They  are  the  fugi 
tives  from  the  Rito,  the  little  band  whom  the  Tanos  of 
Hishi  have  kindly  received  and  charitably  supported  until 
a  few  months  since,  when  they  allowed  them  to  go  and 
build  a  new  home.  They  came  hither  led  on  by  Hayoue, 
who  is  now  their  maseua;  for  each  tribe,  however  small, 
must  have  one.  Okoya  is  with  him,  and  Mitsha,  now 
Okoya's  wife,  comes  up  from  the  bottom  with  the  water- 
urn  on  her  head,  as  on  the  day  when  we  first  saw  her  on  the 
Rito  de  los  Frijoles. 

And  now  we  have,  though  in  a  trance,  seen  the  further  fate 
of  those  whose  sad  career  has  filled  the  pages  of  this  story. 
We  may  be  blindfolded  again,  turned  about  right  to  left ;  and 
when  the  bandage  is  taken  from  our  eyes  the  landscape  is 


49°  THE  DELIGHT  MAKERS. 

as  before,  silent  and  grand.  The  ruins  are  in  position  again ; 
the  panthers  of  stone  with  their  mutilated  heads  lie  within 
the  enclosure  ;  an  eagle  soars  on  high  ;  and  our  Indian  points 
to  it,  smiles,  and  whispers,  — 

"  Look  !  see  !  the  Shiuana  are  good  1 " 


SHE 


3  1970  00007  0125 


SEP  2  0  1991 


MAR  0  6 

MAR  0  8  1995 
U?Ztf 

MAR  1 1  1995 
MAR  1  8  1395 


MAR  1  5  1995 


0  RECO 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A  A      000250485    o 


